Biology:Near-equilibrium enzymatic flux transfer networks

Near-equilibrium enzymatic flux transfer networks are intra-cellular mechanisms for moving ATP and a wide range of other metabolites around the cell from where they are produced to where they are needed, at a rate faster than simple diffusion through the cell's cytoplasm. They can act as a buffer system, as there are linear arrays of pathways with several intermediates in the chain, making the supply of metabolites more reliable. A set of parallel shuttles is also less sensitive to disruption than a single shuttle would be. This allows for automatic coupling between supply and demand, and they can almost instantly supply of a ligand to parts of cells that require it. Hence the concentrations of enzymes in the cell is very large (as opposed to a high concentration of metabolites or solutes) which helps osmotic homeostasis, and means transport of metabolites is not dependent on wastefully large concentration gradients. This means that they are less costly in terms of energy used.