HMP Shunt Pathway

HMP Shunt Pathway

Question 1. HMP Shunt Pathway.
Answer.

Characteristic Features Of HMP Shunt Pathway

• HMP shunt (hexose monophosphate shunt) is an alternate pathway for the oxidation of glucose
• HMP shunt is also known as
• Pentose phosphate pathway
• Pentose cycle
• Phospho-gluconate pathway
• Warburg-Dickens-Lipmann pathway
• Direct oxidative pathway
• HMP shunt is a multi-cyclic process
• It is not meant to provide energy
• It provides NADPH, which is required for various metabolic pathways
• It provides pentoses, which are required for nucleic acid synthesis
• Deficiency of the enzyme glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) of the HMP shunt pathway can cause haemolytic anemia
• It occurs in certain specialized tissue,s e.g., liver, adipose tissue, RBCs, testes, ovary, adrenal cortex, lactating mammary gland, lens, and cornea of the eye
• Carbon dioxide is produced in this pathway
• It takes place in the cytosol
• ATP is required for the HMP shunt pathway, but ATP is not produced.

HMP Shunt Pathway: Key Enzymes and Reactions

Question 2. Gluconeogenesis.
Answer.

Gluconeogenesis Definition

The formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources is known as gluconeogenesis

• Gluconeogenesis meets the requirement for glucose in the body when carbohydrates are not available in sufficient amounts in the diet
• Glucose is the only source of energy for nervous tissue and erythrocytes
• Glucose is required to maintain levels of intermediates of the Krebs cycle
• It is a source of glycerol phosphate, which is required for the adipose tissue
• It is a precursor of milk suga,r lactose, for the lactating mammary gland
• Glucose is the only source of energy for skeletal muscles in anaerobic conditions

Hexose Monophosphate Shunt (HMP) Pathway Explained

Sites Of Gluconeogenesis

Gluconeogenesis takes place in the liver and kidneys