BOCE3714 Weekly assessment 1 (50 marks)

Instructions

• Answer the following questions in a Word document or a .txt document and

submit the document on Blackboard BEFORE 17:00 on Friday, 8 May 2020
• Make sure you supply only the answers required by the questions. You may be
penalized for providing irrelevant information.
• Answers must be given in coherent full sentences. You may be penalized if this is
not the case

Question 1 (4 marks)
Define the following terms:
1.1 Steady State (in the context of metabolism) (1)
1.2 Homeostasis (1)
1.3 Flux Control Coefficient (1)
1.4 Elasticity Coefficient (1)

Question 2 (16 marks)

2.1 Explain the difference between metabolic control and metabolic regulation. (2)

2.3 Why must an organism maintain homeostasis? (4)

2.2 What are the requirements for the control of flux through a metabolic
pathway? (2)

2.3 Explain how the reactions of a metabolic pathway respond to a fractional

increase in flux in terms of their intermediate/substrate concentration by using
the elasticity coefficient. (Hint: What are the two major types of reactions in a
metabolic pathway? (8)
Question 3 (30 marks)
Consider the following metabolic pathway

3.1 What is the flux control coefficient of block D (x)? Explain how you obtained
your answer (3)

3.2 The concentration of the enzyme catalysing block C increases by 1000%. What
is the response in the flux through block C? Explain your answer. (3)

3.3 By what percentage (%) would the concentration of Enzyme b need to increase
to increase the flux through block B by 20%? (3)

3.4 In which block does flux control lie between block A and B? Explain your
answer. (3)

3.5 Which block would regulate homeostasis? Explain your answer. (2)

3.6 Some pathway fluxes vary by factors which cannot be explained by changes in
substrate concentration alone. List and briefly define the mechanisms used to
achieve these pathway fluxes. (8)