Cellular Metabolism

Question 1

Why may severe hypoglycaemia cause breath that smells ‘sickly sweet’?

Answer 1

Due to excreted ketone bodies. In diabetes, excess metabolism of fats generates ketone bodies that can be exhaled and smell very sweet.

Question 2

What is the driving force for ATP synthesis inside the mitochondrion?

Answer 2

Proton gradient across inner membrane. H+ ions move by facilitated diffusion via ATP synthase which causes a change in F1 region of the enzyme resulting in it conversion of ADP + Pi to ATP.

Question 3

How many net molecules of ATP are produced from glycolysis?

Answer 3

2

Question 4

How is a protein gradient created in oxidative phosphorylation?

Answer 4

NADH and FADH donate electrons to the electron transport chain which releases energy through a series of oxidation and reduction causing H+ ions to be actively transported from the matrix to the intermembrane space.

Question 5

Hypoglycaemia defintion?

Answer 5

An abnormally low level of glucose in your blood

Question 6

What happens in terms of glycolysis when the body runs out of glucose?

Answer 6

Cells switch to lipolysis (hydrolysis of lipids) and ketogenesis (when ketones are produced which act as an energy source instead of glucose) as an alternative means of generating acetyl coA