Jonathan Khan October 19, 2010

Ms. Crowley A.P. Biology

Pg. 54

1. The part of the mitochondrion where the pH is the lowest of in the outer compartment.

This is due to the high H+ gradient that exists in the outer compartment.

2. If the inner mitochondrial membrane were freely permeable to protons, then the proton

gradient would cease to exist. The excess protons in the outer compartment would seep

back into the inner compartment via simple diffusion, and reach equilibrium on both

sides of the membrane, thus neutralizing the proton gradient.

a. ATP would be able to be synthesized if the mitochondrial membrane were

permeable to protons, but not due to the electron transport chain, but instead, only

through glycolysis and the Krebs cycle.

Pg. 58

2. The energy levels of the following molecules are as follows

a. Glucose

i. Has enough energy to phosphoralate 38 molecules of ADP per molecule

of glucose (maximum energy of these molecules).

b. Pyruvic acid

i. Stores enough energy to phosphoralate 16 molecules of ADP per molecule

of pyruvate.

c. NADre

i. Has the capacity to furnish 3 ATP molecules per molecule of substance.

d. ATP
 i. A high energy molecule which stores its energy in a form which is most

usable to cells.

e. CO2

i. No energy

f. H2O

i. No energy

3. In the formation of ATP, the 6-carbon carbohydrate glucose, is turned into a 3 carbon

compounds called pyruvic acid via a series of redox reactions carried out in the process

known as glycolysis. This 3 carbon compound is then decarboxylized into a acetyl group

which is then bound via a high energy bond to Coenzyme-A. Then a four carbon

compound called oxaloacetate is put in place of the CoA via a replacement reaction. This

is now a 6 carbon compound called citrate, which then goes through a series of

decarboxylations and oxidations to get back to a 4 carbon compound called oxaloacetate.

4. Glycolysis must take place in all cells because weather the cell carries out anaerobic or

aerobic respiration; both types require the 2 pyruvate molecules which are produced at

the end of glycolysis. If glycolysis did not occur in all cells, then there would be no

production of pyruvate, thus yielding only a net maximum of 2 ATP per glucose

molecule.

5. The complete respiratory breakdown of one glucose molecule is:

a. Main stages

i. Glycolysis
 1. In this stage glucose (C6H12O6) is converted to 2 molecules of

pyruvic acid (pyruvate in ionized form). A net gain of 2 ATP is

accounted for in this stage

ii. Krebs Cycle

1. In this stage pyruvate is decarboxylated into an acetyl group. This

acetyl group then bonds via a high energy bond to Coenzyme-A

(CoA). The compound now, bonds itself to a 4 carbon hydrocarbon

called oxaloacetate (OAA) by a replacement reaction between

OAA and CoA. This forms citrate which is then decarboxylated,

then oxidized, then finally phosphoralated. Returning citrate back

into OAA.

iii. Electron transport chain

1. In this stage of respiration, high energy electrons are used to

shuttle protons across the phospholipid bilayer of the inner

mitochondrial membrane. This creates a proton gradient with the

outer compartment of the mitochondrion containing a higher

concentration of protons as compared to the inner compartment of

the mitochondria. When 2 protons come in through the F-1

particle, they provide the energy for the phosphorolation of one

ADP molecule into ATP.

b. The role of oxygen in this system is to act as the final electron acceptor. After the

c. The role of the electron carrier system is to build up a positive hydrogen ion (H+

or proton) gradient inside of the outer mitochondrial compartment so that ATP

 can be synthesized when 2 H+ ions come back into the inner compartment via the

F-1 particle.

d. The fate of the energy contained within glucose is to establish the proton gradient

which in turn provides the energy needed to phosphoralate ATP.

6. Glycolysis is relatively inefficient on its own in the cytoplasm. But when incorporated

into the process of cellular respiration, it becomes the most basic form of metabolism,

providing a basis for ATP to be synthesized by a highly efficient process known as

cellular respiration.

7. The energy stored in NADre is converted into ATP by the electron transport chain. The

high energy electrons which are carried to the inner mitochondrial membrane by NADre

are used to build the H+ gradient which is used to synthesize ATP.