Respiration Flashcards
Why do living organisms need to respire
organisms need to be able to respire so they can release energy stored in respiratory substrates (organic molecules) such as glucose which can then be used to make ATP from ADP and Pi this is then used to drive metabolic processes
Why do living organisms need energy
organisms need energy to make ATP which is used to drive biological processes such as…
- endocytosis
- exocytosis
- active transport
- DNA replication
- cell division
What is respiration
Respiration is the process that occurs in all living cells and releases the energy stored in organic molecules such as glucose
- energy is used to synthesis molecules of ATP from ADP and Pi (inorganic phosphate)
Describe how ATP is made from basic hydrolysis and condensation reactions
- ATP is stable therefore it does not readily break down but is hydrolysed by enzyme catalysis
- when in solution it can be moved from place to place in the cell
- ATP is hydrolysed into ADP and Pi, this releases energy for the use by cells to do work as well as heat which is used to keep the organism warm and allow enzymes to work at their optimum temperature and maximum rate
- ATP is made during a condensation reaction, from ADP and Pi, this happens when energy is released from an organic substrate during respiration
What is ATP referred to as
ATP is the universal energy currency
DRAW OUT ATP
DRAW IT
Describe where glycolysis happens and what conditions it happens in
- cytoplasm
- anaerobic conditions - this means it can happen in anaerobic respiration
What are the 4 stages of respiration
- Glycolysis
- the links reactions
- the Krebs cycle
- oxidative phosphorylation - this is the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis
Describe the process of glycolysis
- Glycolysis is a series of reaction that extract energy from glucose by splitting it into pyruvate, these reactions happens very quickly but only a small amount of ATP is produced therefore it is inefficient.
1. Glucose is converted to glucose phosphate, this requires the use of an ATP molecule which is reduced to ADP, in order to release energy.
2. Glucose phosphate is then converted to fructose phosphate which is then converted to fructose diphosphate, this requires ATP to be hydrolysed to ADP and Pi.
3. Fructose diphosphate a six-carbon compound which contains two phosphate groups, these are from the two ATP molecules that have been hydrolysed.
4. Fructose diphosphate splits to form two three carbon compounds as it is unstable, these are a 3 carbon compound and and Glyceraldehyde phosphate (GALP). These two molecules exist in equilibrium, but the equilibrium lies towards GALP therefore all the triose phosphate is converted to GALP, meaning there are two molecules of GALP.
5. Each GALP molecule then is converted to pyruvate in an oxidation reaction, therefore producing two pyruvate molecules, a three-carbon compound. This is an oxidation reaction as it involves the removal of hydrogen atoms from substrate molecules.
6. To do this GALP undergoes dehydrogenation, this is when two hydrogen atoms are removed from GALP and are picked up by hydrogen acceptors called NAD, this is catalysed by the enzyme dehydrogenase and produces reduced NAD.
7. GALP converting to pyruvate also releases enough energy to combine ADP and Pi producing ATP. This is substrate level phosphorylation, as it results in the formation of ATP by the direct transfer of a phosphate group to ADP from another phosphorylated compound. Substrate level phosphorylation occurs twice producing two molecules of ATP per GALP oxidised therefore four are produced overall.
8. In aerobic conditions, the pyruvate molecules are actively transported into the mitochondrial matrix for the link cycle
Why is glucose converted to glucose phosphate during glycolysis
- Glucose is converted to glucose phosphate, because glucose can easily get in and out of the cell therefore by phosphorylating it, it means it cannot exit the cell. -
- Phosphorylation also happens to provide more energy and make glucose more reactive.
What are the products of glycolysis
The products of glycolysis are ..
- two molecules of ATP, four are made but two are used during phosphorylation,
- two molecules of reduced NAD
- two molecules of pyruvate
What happens to the reduced NAD produced in the glycolysis
Reduced NAD needs to be converted back to NAD in order to keep glycolysis running therefore the NAD can pass its electrons into the electron transport chain regenerating NAD therefore allowing glycolysis to continue.
Describe NAD
- Non protein molecule that helps dehydrogenase enzymes carry out oxidation reactions
- NAD oxidises substrate molecules during glycolysis, links reaction and the Krebs cycle
- NAD synthesised in living cells from nicotinamide, ribose, and adenine and to phosphoryl groups
- nicotainamide ring can accept 2 hydrogen atoms becoming reduced NAD
- reduced NAD carries the protons and electrons to mitochondrial matrix and cristae
What is the cristae
inner highly folded mitochondrial matrix
What is the mitochondrial matrix
fluid filled inner part of the mitochondria
Describe the links reaction
- Pyruvate undergoes decarboxylation which is catalysed by the enzyme decarboxylase and produces carbon dioxide, it is now a two-carbon compound as one of the carbons have been lost.
- undergoes dehydrogenation using the enzyme dehydrogenase and produces two hydrogen atoms which are picked up by the coenzyme NAD which causes it to become reduced.
- This produces an acetyl group which combines with co-enzyme A forming acetyl coenzyme A, a two-carbon compound.
- The acetyl coenzyme A is transported to the Krebs cycle where the coenzyme A breaks away from it and goes back to the links cycle and the acteyl group joins with oxaloacetate(4C) forming a 6 carbon compound
Describe the Krebs cycle
- The acetyl group goes into the Krebs cycle while co-enzyme A goes back to the link cycle. The acetyl group combines with oxalo-acetic, a four-carbon compound, to form citric acid, a six-carbon compound.
- Citric acid undergoes decarboxylation catalysed by decarboxylase and produces carbon dioxide, this turns it to a five-carbon compound. It also undergoes dehydrogenation catalysed by dehydrogenase, forming reduced NAD.
- The five-carbon compound then goes then undergoes decarboxylation catalysed by decarboxylase turning it to a four-carbon compound called succinate. 4. At this stage enough energy is released for substrate level phosphorylation to happen forming one molecule of ATP from ADP and Pi.
- Dehydrogenation also happens and this is catalysed by dehydrogenase but the hydrogen atoms go to the coenzyme FAD which forms reduced FAD, this skips the first stage of the electron transport system.
- Succinate is oxidised forming malate, a four-carbon compound. This undergoes dehydrogenation and forms reduced NAD, this is the oxidation of malate and converts it to oxalo-acetic acid therefore starting the cycle again.
What conditions does the links reaction happen in
The next stage of respiration is called the links cycle, this occurs in aerobic conditions in the mitochondrial matrix and happens twice as two pyruvate molecules are produced.
What are the products of the Krebs cycle
The Krebs cycle produces…
- six molecules of reduced NAD
- two molecules of reduced FAD
- four molecules of carbon dioxide
- two molecules of ATP.
What conditions does the Krebs cycle happen in
The next stage is the Krebs cycle, this occurs in the mitochondrial matrix
- in aerobic conditions
- happens twice as two acetyl coenzyme A are formed due to two pyruvate molecules being formed.
For every molecule of glucose…..
there are two turns of the krebs cycle
How is pryuvate transported into the mitochondrial matrix
it is transported across the outer and inner mitochondrial membrane by a specific pyruvate-H+ symport
- this is a transport protein that transports two ions or molecules in the same direction and into the matrix