Ammonia is passed from the gills of fish in their urine, also rotting food and decaying plant matter are contributors of ammonia. It exists in two forms in the aquarium and the first step is to understand the difference between ammonium NH4 and free ammonia NH3. NH3 (ammonia) is a gas and sometimes called toxic or free ammonia. It is the unionised form of NH4. NH4 (ammonium) is a nontoxic salt it is the ionised form of ammonia. NH3 and NH4 together are often refered to as total ammonia nitrogen (TAN). So as you can see from above NH3 is the nasty toxic element that needs monitoring.
Dr. Gary Gilcrease, MD is a Doctor primarily located in Kyle, TX. He has 23 years of experience. His specialties include Family Medicine. Dr. Gilcrease is affiliated with Seton Medical Center Austin and St David's Medical Center. He speaks English.
Glucokinase (hexokinase D) is a monomeric cytoplasmic enzyme found in the liver and pancreas that serves to regulate glucose levels in these organs. Glucokinase is used in the first step of the metabolism of glucose, during this step the phosphorylation of glucose by ATP generates glucose-6-phosphate and ADP.lucokinase vs. Other Hexokinases: Glucokinase is unique from other hexokinase in kinetic properties and is coded by a different gene. The difference of glucokinase from the other hexokinases is that glucokinase has a lower affinity, thus a higher Km, for glucose.