gavin wrote:
>> ... both energetics and
> kinetics are important to consider.
Exactly. One could make one additional point. Not only it is important
to consider both kinetics and energetics as important and complementary
points of view. It is also important to acknowledge that a _living_
cell is a _nonequilibrium_ system.
Consequently, thermodynamic equilibrium constants measured for
individual enzymes are not applicable to the cell, at least in certain
documented cases such as Zn trafficking. In other words, zinc or copper
concentrations in the cell are never at thermodynamic equibrium, so the
"thermodynamic drive" does not have a chance to play out (until cell
death).
- Petr
