The Battle Hymn of Biochemistry
(To the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Copyright © 2003 Kevin Ahern

 

Instructor Sings

By now you know the story of the respiratory stew

Where the fatty acids get chopped up in units two by two

Their electrons pass through coenzymes referred to here as Q

Electrons flow along

 

Everyone Sings

Glory to electron transport

Glory to electron transport

Glory to electron transport

Electrons flow along

 

 

Instructor Sings

Eee - lectron transport complexes are working dusk to dawn

Managing electron energy they just keep passing on

And for handling the energy they get to pump protons

As the gradient marches on

 

Everyone Sings

Glory to the proton gradient

Make the mitochondry - radiant

Glory to the proton gradient

The gradient marches on

 

 

Instructor Sings

If you need a lot of energy your cells have got a way

To break fatty acids down to yield some acetyl-CoA

Going on inside peroxisomes and mitochondri "ay"

Fatty acids oxidized

 

Everyone Sings

Glory, glory oxidation

It's the heart of respiration

Learn it without consternation

Fatty acids oxidized

 

 

Instructor Sings

HMG-CoA reductase leads to bits of isoprene

That link up together in the cell to synthesize terpenes

Don't forget before cholesterol you've got to make squalene

As the lipids march along

 

Everyone Sings

Glory, glory to the lipids

Glory, glory to the lipids

Glory, glory to the lipids

As the lipids march along

 

 

Instructor Sings

If a bee should come and sting you when you're sitting in a daze

You had better take some aspirin for PGH synthase

Otherwise arachidonate goes to cyclic path-a-ways

And you'll start to feel the pain

 

Everyone Sings

Oh, don't make the prostaglandins

Causing pain with great abandon

No, don't make the prostaglandins

You are going to feel the pain

Return to other Metabolic Melodies