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    Hemoglobin Catabolism

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    nezuko978
    Red blood cells transport oxygen and carbon dioxide via hemoglobin. As red blood cells age over 4 months, hemoglobin is degraded. Hemoglobin contains heme, which is broken down in the spleen or liver in a multi-step process. This releases iron for storage and forms bile pigments that are excreted. Bilirubin levels may rise due to liver or spleen issues, causing jaunice. Cysteine and methionine contain sulfur that is released and can act as a signaling molecule as hydrogen sulfide. It is involved in vascular function, the brain, and diabetes and is eliminated as sulfate in urine.

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    Hemoglobin Catabolism

    Uploaded by

    nezuko978
    11 views6 pages
    Red blood cells transport oxygen and carbon dioxide via hemoglobin. As red blood cells age over 4 months, hemoglobin is degraded. Hemoglobin contains heme, which is broken down in the spleen or liver in a multi-step process. This releases iron for storage and forms bile pigments that are excreted. Bilirubin levels may rise due to liver or spleen issues, causing jaunice. Cysteine and methionine contain sulfur that is released and can act as a signaling molecule as hydrogen sulfide. It is involved in vascular function, the brain, and diabetes and is eliminated as sulfate in urine.

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    Red blood cells transport oxygen and carbon dioxide via hemoglobin. As red blood cells age over 4 months, hemoglobin is degraded. Hemoglobin contains heme, which is broken down in the spleen or liver in a multi-step process. This releases iron for storage and forms bile pigments that are excreted. Bilirubin levels may rise due to liver or spleen issues, causing jaunice. Cysteine and methionine contain sulfur that is released and can act as a signaling molecule as hydrogen sulfide. It is involved in vascular function, the brain, and diabetes and is eliminated as sulfate in urine.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    11 views6 pages

    Hemoglobin Catabolism

    Uploaded by

    nezuko978
    Red blood cells transport oxygen and carbon dioxide via hemoglobin. As red blood cells age over 4 months, hemoglobin is degraded. Hemoglobin contains heme, which is broken down in the spleen or liver in a multi-step process. This releases iron for storage and forms bile pigments that are excreted. Bilirubin levels may rise due to liver or spleen issues, causing jaunice. Cysteine and methionine contain sulfur that is released and can act as a signaling molecule as hydrogen sulfide. It is involved in vascular function, the brain, and diabetes and is eliminated as sulfate in urine.

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    HEMOGLOBIN CATABOLISM

    RED BLOOD CELLS


    • highly specialized cells
    • primary function:
    o deliver oxygen to, and remove carbon dioxide from, body tissues.
    • Mature RBCs:
    o no nucleus or DNA
    o filled with the red pigment hemoglobin
    • Formation occurs in the bone marrow
    o 200 billion new RBC daily.
    o Life span: four months
    • Spleen
    o Old RBCs are broken down
    o “Primary Site” (Secondary site: LIVER)

    • Hemoglobin
    o conjugated protein
    ▪ Globin: Protein portion
    ▪ Heme: Non-protein portion (Prosthetic group)
    ▪ Iron atoms -> Ferritin (Iron storage protein
    ▪ Tetrapyrrole Carbon arrangement-> bile pigments

    DEGRADATION OF HEME
    I. Begins with a ring-opening reaction (single atom is removed)
    Several important characteristics of the Reaction:
    1. Molecular O2 is required as a reactant.
    2. Ring opening releases the iron atom to be incorporated into ferritin.
    3. The product containing the excised carbon atom is carbon monoxide
    o toxic to the human body
    o reacts with functioning hemoglobin ->CO hemoglobin complex (decreases
    the oxypen-carrying ability of the blood)
    o CO hemoglobin complexes are very stable; release to the lungs is a slow
    process.
    II. Biliverdin is converted to Bilirubin
    • Reduction of central methylene bridge of biliverdin

    • Usually occurs in Spleen


    • Serum Albumin:
    o Transports bilirubin to the Liver -> solubilized bilirubin

    • Solubilized bilirubin -> bile -> small intestine (w/ intestinal bacteria)
    o Stercobilin: feces
    o Urobilin: Urine
    BILE PIGMENTS
    • colored tetrapyrrole degradation products obtained from heme; present in bile
    o Biliverdin & Bilirubin
    ▪ Green & reddish-orange in color, respectively
    o Stercobilin
    ▪ Brownish hue
    ▪ Excreted 250-350mg in feces daily
    o Urobilin
    ▪ Yellow color
    ▪ Excreted 1-2mg in urine daily

    • Jaundice
    o condition that occurs when bilirubin concentrations in the blood become higher
    than normal
    o skin and the white of the eyes acquire a yellowish tint (Icteric)
    o Can occur as a result of liver diseases
    * hepatitis and cirrhosis
    * spleen & gallbladder malfunction

    • Local coloration associated with a deep bruise

    PROTEINS AND THE ELEMENT SULFUR

    Cysteine and Methionine

    • Have a sulfur atom in their side chain.


    Biodegradation of Cysteine

    • Transamination reaction occurs


    • Release of the sulfhydryl group (-SH)
    o H2S- powerful gaseous signaling agent in the human body
    Biosynthesis of Cysteine

    • Serine
    o Activated using and acetyl CoA molecule and then
    o sulfhydrylation occurs with H2S

    • sulfate assimilation
    o one process by which H2S can be produced
    o sulfate ion (SO42-)
    ▪ starting material
    ▪ common inorganic form
    ▪ present in drinking water
    Intermediate ATP derivatives

    • encountered in metabolic process

    o interaction of SO42 with an ATP molecule producing a sulfate complex (APS)

    o APS complex reacts with another ATP producing an ADP molecule producing a
    new complex (PAPS)
    o Sulfate ion (SO32- ) is then released from the PAPS with NADPH being the
    reducing agent

    o The other product, ADP, then undergoes change to AMP and P. further reduction
    of SO32- using NADPH produces the S2- ion.

    o The species S2- , HS- , and H2 S are interconvertible species in solution, being
    members of two conjugate acid/base pairs
    Hydrogen sulfide as a Biochemical signaling agent

    • Hydrogen sulfide – sulfur source of biosynthesis of the sulfur-containing amino acids


    o Cysteine
    o Methionine

    1. Acts as a smooth muscle relaxant and vasodilator and thus a role in the
    regulation of vascular blood flow and blood pressure.
    2. Active in the brain.
    ▪ Alzheimer’s disease- lower than normal
    3. Involved in type I diabetes considerations.
    ▪ Beta cell death
    ▪ Reduced insulin production
    • The process for elimination of H2S from the body has some reverse parallels to the way
    it enters the body.
    ▪ it is first converted to sulfite
    ▪ oxidized in sulfate ion
    ▪ excreted in the urine
    o 90% of the sulfur content

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