ATP Synthesis Flashcards
what is ATP used for?
supplying the energy needed to break bonds in metabolic reactions of the cell.
what is chemiosmosis?
the diffusion of protons from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration through a partially permeable membrane.
what process synthesises ATP?
chemiosmosis.
how does chemiosmosis form ATP?
as protons more down the goncentration gradient, energy is released. this energy is used to attach inorganic phosphate to ADP.
what does chemiosmosis rely on?
the creation of a proton concentration gradient.
how do electrons become excited?
- electrons present in pigment molecules are excited by absorbing light from the sun.
- high energy electrons are released when chemical bonds are broken in respiratory substrate molecules.
what does an electron transport chain do?
excited protons pass through the electron transport chain and are used to generate a proton gradient.
what is an electron transport chain made up of?
a series of electron carriers. these each have progressively lower energy levels.
how does an electron transport chain work?
- high energy electrons move from one electron carrier to another and energy is released.
- the energy is used to pump protons across a membrane and created a concentration difference across the membrane and therefore a proton gradient.
how is the proton gradient maintained?
the membrane is impermeable to hydrogen ions (protons) so they cannot pass back through.
what is the only way protons can move back through the membrane down their concentration?
through hydrophilic membrane channels linked to ATP synthase. this produces the energy used to synthesise ATP from ATP and inorganic phosphate.
what does ATP synthase do?
Catalyses the formation of ATP
is ATPsythase and ATPase the same enzyme?
yes
