Energy, ATP & Enzymes

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Familial Mediterranean Fever
Energy, ATPThe energy currency of cells used for muscle contraction. & Enzymes

Time To Read

1–2 minutes

Date Last Modified

June 21, 2026

OVERVIEW

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

Quiz

CHART CLUE

Stina’s bloodwork over the years shows sky-high inflammatory markers – even between attacks, when she looks fine. It is a chemistry clue everyone explained away. This module introduces the molecular cast of her disease, each member riding in on its biomolecule class.

The Story

Every fever Stina runs burns fuel – inflammation is metabolically expensive. This page covers energyThe capacity to do work or cause change., the ATP currency that powers everything, and the enzymesProteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body. that run the body’s reactions, including the ones that fevers (and drugs) can shut down. It also plants a key idea: heat denatures proteinsLarge molecules made of amino acids with various functions in the body., which is part of why a high fever is dangerous, and why some enzymes make good drug targets.

From Stina’s chart: After every attack she describes the same bone-deep exhaustion: “like I ran a marathon lying in bed.” Inflammation, it turns out, is metabolically expensive — her body really had been working that hard.

Compare Stina’s uninfected appendixA small, finger-like pouch attached to the cecum, thought to play a role in immune function. to an infected appendix.

Activity:

Energy and enzymes set the stage. Now meet the moleculesGroups of atoms bonded together. themselves – starting with fuel, fat, and the fat-derived signal that triggers fever.

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Acids, Bases & the Water of Life

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Carbohydrates & Lipids – Fuel and the Fever Signal