Final answer:
The primary function of the mTOR pathway is protein synthesis, as it regulates anabolic reactions and is crucial for cell growth, proliferation, and survival, integrating environmental signals to manage cellular functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option is C:
The primary function of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) survival pathway is C) Protein synthesis. The mTOR pathway is a central regulator of cellular metabolism, growth, proliferation, and survival. It integrates signals from nutrients and growth factors to control the anabolic processes including the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides. mTOR is a protein kinase that controls cell growth, proliferation, and survival by regulating protein synthesis. It promotes the translation of mRNA into proteins by phosphorylating and activating various components of the protein synthesis machinery.
In the context of metabolic pathways, the mTOR pathway enhances the anabolic reactions that build smaller molecules into larger ones, such as proteins from amino acids. On the flip side, catabolic processes, like the digestion of sucrose (a), are involved in the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller components. The mTOR pathway is essential for sustaining cellular functions and adapting to cellular environment changes, tightly regulating processes such as protein expression and cell division.