Lecture Eight : Cellular Respiration

7 important questions on Lecture Eight : Cellular Respiration

What is cellular respiration  and What is the function of ATP ?

Biochemical process where chemical energy in biological (food) molecules is used to form ATP
  • Aerobic → with O2
  • Anaerobic → without O2
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP):
  • Main energy carrying molecule
  • Release energy that fuels cellular processes

What is the structure of a Mitochondria ?

  • Composed of two membranes :
- Inner → folded to form cristae
- Outer membrane
  • Intermembrane Space
  • Matrix : ‘cytoplasm’ of mitochondria
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) + Ribosomes

Explain the Stage 1 Glycolysis process and all the components involved of cellular respiration in the mitochondria ?

  • Location: cytoplasm (not mitochondria)
  • Overview: glucose (6 carbon) → 2 x pyruvate (3 carbon)
- Glucose is reduced to pyruvate
  • Generates:
--> 2 x ATP (formed via substrate level phosphorylation)
--> 2 x NADH (carries electrons)
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Explain the Stage 2 Citric Acid Cycle process and all the components involved of cellular respiration in a mitochondria ?

  • Location: mitochondrial matrix
  • Overview: Pyruvate → Acetyl CoA (enters citric acid cycle)
  • Generates (For 2 Pyruvates):
-  2 x CO2 (from pyruvate oxidation) + 4 x CO2 (from citric acid cycle) = 6 x CO2
- 2 x ATP
- 2 x NADH (from pyruvate oxidation) 6 x NADH (from citric acid cycle) = 8 X NADH
- 2 x FADH2

Explain the Stage 3 Oxidative Phosphorylation process and all components involved of cellular respiration in a mitochondria ?

  • Location : Inner membrane and intermembrane space of the mitochondria
  • Composed of two other processes :
- Electron Transport Chain (ETC)
- Chemiosmosis

Explain What Electron Transport Chain does in the mitochondria ?

  • NADH and FADH2 release their high energy electrons and move through the protein complexes that are located within the inner membrane
  • As these high energy electrons move they become low energy when released allowing them to pump H+ protons from the matrix to the inner membrane space (against the concentration gradient)
  • This creates a steeper proton gradient between inner membrane space and the matrix

Explain what chemiosmosis does in the mitochondria ?

  • H+ diffuses down the ATP synthase protein channels
  • This proton diffusion results in the activation of ATP synthase, helping convert ADP + Pi --> ATP
  • Chemiosmosis generates majority of ATP, more than substrate level phosphorylation

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