Daily Newsletter February 6, 2012
Today's Topic: Metabolic Diversity
Prokaryotes have amazing metabolic diversity, unlike eukaryotes which are metabolically very similar. Bacteria and Archaea can utilize an incredibly diverse pool of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur compounds. Individuals have been shown to use unusual metals, produce compounds never thought to exist naturally, and even degrade compounds we believed were refractory (or non-biodegradable).
In order to begin understanding metabolic diversity, we must first look to the different ways that bacteria can utilize sugars.
Daily Challenge: Pathway Comparisons
Today, compare the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway, Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway, and pentose phosphate shunt. What is different about them? what is similar? Why would an organism use one over another? Are their implications for the evolution of glucose utilization by cells?
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