Question

Many choice (choose 3): Imagine a drug that shuts down the glycolytic pathway. In this case Select one or more:

a. Acetyl CoA levels within cells would rise

b. Acetyl CoA levels within cells would fall

c. Ketoacids in the blood would rise

d. Ketoacids in the blood would fall

e. Blood pH would rise

f. Blood pH would fall

Answer 1

Answer:

Option a (Acetyl coA levels within the cells would rise)

Option c (Keto acids in the blood would rise)

Option e (blood pH would rise)

Explanation: Glycolysis is a process which takes place in the cytoplasm of a cell and it leads to the formation of two molecules of pyruvic acid (a c3 compound) from one molecule of glucose in a chain of 10 reactions.

The most probable fate of the pyruvic acid thus produced is to get converted to the acetyl coA which is a two carbon compound so as to enter the Kreb’s cycle within the mitochondria and produce a huge amount of energy (38 ATP molecules)

However, Acetyl coA is produced from alternative sources also like Beta oxidation of fatty acids. Thus, acetyl coA is an alternative source of energy to the pyruvic acid. So then when the glycolytic pathway ceases off, there is no formation of pyruvic acid; in that case the acetyl coA formation takes place from alternative pathways and likewise its levels within the cells would rise.

Further, acetyl coA is known to have directly involved in the formation of the ketone bodies. Thus due to an increase in the concentration of the acetyl coA; the levels of the keto acids would gradually rise in the blood.

Since, the end product of the glycolysis is the pyruvic acid. As it is an acid; with its formation the pH of the blood is known to decrease. However when the process of glycolysis ceases, the pyruvic acid does not gets produced. Since acid formation decreases the pH of the blood; with a cessation in the formation of the acid; the pH of the blood would rise.