Tri-1, Wk14, Day 60 - Succinate Dehydrogenase

I published the title of this blog just before midnight so the blog would be under the proper date but, it's actually 2:30 a.m. as I write this.  It's been non-stop biochemistry tonight and I've been rewatching class lectures I've burned to DVDs.  I have three weeks worth of lectures burned and am on the 2nd of 3 disc.  

The pic today is of Succinate or Succinate Dehydrogenase.  I believe it gets oxidized to furmate which I've found to be part of the TCA or Creb's Citric Acid Cycle.  

Probably the most interesting thing I've learned (or reinforced) tonight was regarding a constant regarded as Km which is a measure of a enzyme's affinity for a  substrates.  We may consider the enzyme hexokinase and the substrate glucose then values of Km for skeletal muscles and the central nervous system (CNS).  The smaller the value of Km, the greater the affinity for its substrate.  The example we were given in class was skeletal muscle with a Km value of 0.1 and the CNS with a Km value of 0.01.  Since the CNS has a smaller Km value it's going to have a higher affinity for glucose - in other words, in a competition for glucose, the CNS will win.  

I liked seeing this because it relates to another class in which I learned that the brain simply will not go without glucose for one second and since the CNS includes the brain & spinal cord I liked how the knowledge from both classes correspond.

I'm going to have to make at least one more pot of coffee and push it through until I take my test at 7:20 a.m.  I'm not exactly sure what classes I'll have after that tomorrow ...uhm ...spinal analysis probably then I'm free until 12:55 at which time I'll have cell biology then I can go home.  Dang.  If not for that 1 p.m. class I could go home and get some sleep after my second class.  I might just go out to my car and sleep until class time - maybe Heather will let me go to her place and sleep on the couch.  Either that or I need to look over my Spinal Anatomy.  Either way, after I finally get to sleep tomorrow then I'll need to stay up and pour about 85% of my energy into Spinal Anatomy and 15% into Spinal Analysis - both final exams are on Friday.

I am soooooo  looking forward to sleeping on Friday after my classes!  I Hope I stay awake alright during my hour long one way commutes.  

Monday, Final Exams in Cell Biology & Histology

Tuesday, Final Exam in Biochemistry

Wednesday, Final Exam in Gross Anatomy