TRACER DYNAMICS AND THE DETERMINATION OF POOL-SIZES AND TURNOVER FACTORS IN METABOLIC SYSTEMS
Tracer dynamics constitutes a theory aimed to simplify a physicobiologically significant interpretation of tracer data, especially of such data as are accessible on the supply of radioactive isotopes to metabolic systems. A simplified survey of the theory is presented. An essential problem is to find out how and when the behavior of the small amount of radioactive isotopes supplied to the system as tracer is representative of the properties of the isotopes naturally present in the system. An attempt at a time-statistical approach is outilned, in terms of timeaverages of certain tracer properties. It results in an ergodic theorem, which gives a general and simple relation between the tracer and the mother substance. Simple equations are presented for the determination of poolsizes and for the determination of certain tracer dynamic parameters that characterize the turnovers of the considered metabolites. The theory appears applicable under experimentally modest conditions. It is also shown that the tracer dynamics contains the classic physicochemical kinetics as a special case. The tracer dynamic description of metabolic systems is accordingly consistent with the conceptual background of the well-established kinetics of chemical reactions. (C.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-019537
- OSTI ID:
- 4020260
- Journal Information:
- J. Theoret. Biol., Journal Name: J. Theoret. Biol. Vol. Vol: 6
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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