Question

1.

A) Metabolic syndrome. Compare/contrast muscle and adipose tissue in the lean state versus chronic inflammatory state. B) Why is the liver such a critical organ for the metabolism of fuel molecules?

Answer 1

1.

A) METABOLIC SYNDROME

Metabolic syndrome is a group or cluster of most dangerous heart attack risk factors including diabetes,high cholesterol,high blood pressure,raised fasting blood glucose level,abdominal obesity etc.Nowadays the concern regarding this disease is been a highly studied one among children and adolescents.Most of disorders associated with this syndrome dont have obvious symptoms.One such symptom visible is waist circumference.

Having metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing heart and blood vessel diseases.Here what happens is high blood pressure and high cholesterol contributes to the deposition of plaques in the tissues and vessels involved.These plaques narrows,hardens - those tissues ,vessels and worsens the conditions more.

During Chronic inflammation conditions ,the inflammatory cells and mediators on adipocytes acclerate the transfer of lipids in adipose tissue to tissues like skeletal muscle.liver etc.This again leads to ectopic lipid deposits thereby causing insulin resistance in these tissues.Insulin resistance disrupts the balance in our body and causes metabolic dysfunctions.

  

B) ROLE OF LIVER

• Liver the largest gland as well as the largest internal organ of our body have multiple ,diverse functions .Hence have a great impact in each and every tissues present.It is the epicentre of intermediary metabolism and plays irreplacable role in biochemical pathways.

The main roles of liver in metabolism are listed below :

• Carbohydrate metabolism : plays important role especially in the homeostasis of glucose levels.(produce glucose/store glucose).In fed state it converts glucose to glycogen and in unfed state converts the stored glycogen to glucose.Depending on the requirements it maintains the balance of glucose levels.other important biochemical pathways includes ; glycogen metabolism,gluconeogenesis(even if the stored glycogen finishes ,liver will easily replenish the lost by using alternate sources for the production of glucose).
• Lipid metabolism : liver is the site for the beta oxidation of fatty acids,synthesis of lipoproteins,production of ketone bodies(this is very important when it comes in the case of fasting - most organs use ketone bodies as fuel except liver),important role in homeostasis of cholesterol.
• Bile metabolism and enterohepatic circulation :
• Protein and amino acid metabolism : deamination of amino acids,producing proteins and peptides ,helps in elimination of ammonia by producing urea.
• other roles of liver inlcudes metabolism of drugs(xenobiotics),heme metabolism,acts as a storage organ,bilirubin metabolism..etc...

From the above discussed roles we can understand the importance of liver in different aspects of metabolism.