Articles Song: The Battle Hymn of Biochemistry (To the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”)* Received for publication, November 21, 2005 Kevin Ahern‡ From the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 (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 * Copyright ©2003 Kevin Ahern ‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION Printed in U.S.A. Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 206, 2006 This paper is available on line at http://www.bambed.org 206

Song: The battle hymn of biochemistry (to the tune of “the battle hymn of the republic”)

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Articles

Song: The Battle Hymn of Biochemistry (To the tune of “The BattleHymn of the Republic”)*

Received for publication, November 21, 2005

Kevin Ahern‡

From the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331

(Instructor sings)By now you know the story of the respiratory stewWhere the fatty acids get chopped up in units two by twoTheir electrons pass through coenzymes referred to hereas QElectrons flow along

(Everyone sings)Glory to electron transportGlory to electron transportGlory to electron transportElectrons flow along

(Instructor sings)Eee-lectron transport complexes are working dusk todawnManaging electron energy they just keep passing onAnd for handling the energy they get to pump protonsAs the gradient marches on

(Everyone sings)Glory to the proton gradientMake the mitochondry - radiantGlory to the proton gradientThe gradient marches on

(Instructor sings)If you need a lot of energy your cells have got a wayTo break fatty acids down to yield some acetyl-CoAGoing on inside peroxisomes and mitochondri “ay”Fatty acids oxidized

(Everyone sings)Glory, glory oxidationIt’s the heart of respirationLearn it without consternationFatty acids oxidized

(Instructor sings)HMG-CoA reductase leads to bits of isopreneThat link up together in the cell to synthesize terpenesDon’t forget before cholesterol you’ve got to makesqualeneAs the lipids march along

(Everyone sings)Glory, glory to the lipidsGlory, glory to the lipidsGlory, glory to the lipidsAs the lipids march along

(Instructor sings)If a bee should come and sting you when you’re sittingin a dazeYou had better take some aspirin for PGH synthaseOtherwise arachidonate goes to cyclic path-a-waysAnd you’ll start to feel the pain

(Everyone sings)Oh, don’t make the prostaglandinsCausing pain with great abandonNo, don’t make the prostaglandinsYou are going to feel the pain

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATIONPrinted in U.S.A.Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 206, 2006

This paper is available on line at http://www.bambed.org206