1.

Respiration and the history of earth

2. The notion of a pathway
3. Utilizing carbon--complete oxidation
4. Fermentation
 The “Metabolism first” view of early earth.

increasing
+ complexity

high energy
catalysts
electrons
 Mineral systems present on the
young earth had abundant H2 and
CO2.

Certain minerals can catalyze a

redox reaction between the two,
forming acetate.
 “Metabolism First”
suggests that a simple, self-
amplifying cyclic pathway
could have enriched
prebiotic chemistry.

A descendant of this cycle

is found in today’s
organisms.
A version of this hypothesis is being tested--though there
are problems.
 “Metabolism” may have arisen well before life.

A B C

Some pathways have a linear nature

A B C D E

They can be anabolic or catabolic, they can consume

energy or liberate energy.
 The most
Product! Energy fundamental
A pathways have a
cyclical nature.
B They
F
regenerate a
starting
C substrate, and
E convert matter
and energy into
Energy+ material D a useful
Material
byproduct.
It is wrong to think of these as serial processes in the cell.
Seclusion allows each step to proceed simultaneously
thousands of times.
 NAD+ is an electron carrier.
It’s a way to carry electrons
from organic compounds to an
electron transport chain.
Organic compounds can exist in a range of oxidation
states; some are good e- donors, others are OK e-
acceptors.
H O
R-C-H R-C O=C=O
H H
H O
R-C-OH R-C
H OH
Better e- donors
 ATP ATP

1 2 3 4 5

Glucose

ADP ADP

2 NAD+ 2 ADP 2 ADP

2 2 2 2
2

6 7 8 9 10

Pyruvate

2 NADH 2 ATP 2 ATP

Glycolysis is a way to take e- from glucose for ETC.

 O
CH3 H3C C S-CoA
C O
(Acetyl-coA)
C
O- O
O=C=O

NAD+ NADH + H+
 O
O
H3C C S-CoA
H3C H2C H2C C OH
O
H3C C OH

NAD+ NADH + H+
 Amino acids, O
aromatics, any other
organics. H3C C S-CoA

NAD+ NADH + H+
 The Krebs
(or citric acid
or TCA)
cycle
completely
oxidizes the
carbon in
Acetyl-CoA.
ATP is made
by substrate-
level
phosphorylati
on.
 Consider this scheme...
H O H
R-C-OH R-C R-C-OH
H OH H

(reduced
(electron electron
(electron
carrier) carrier) carrier)
ΔG for making
ATP!
 H O
R-C=O R-C
OH

(reduced
(electron electron
carrier) carrier)

ΔG for making
ATP!
 ATP ATP

1 2 3 4 5

Glucose

ADP ADP

2 NAD+ 2 ADP 2 ADP

2 2 2 2
2

6 7 8 9 10

Pyruvate

2 NADH 2 ATP 2 ATP

Glycolysis is also a way to make ATP without respiring.

NAD+ NADH + H+

ΔG for making
ATP!
 The high-energy CH2
compound C O P
produced by
oxidizing the C
O- O
carbon atom can
be hydrolyzed to
provide free CH3
energy to make C O
ATP by substrate-
C
level
O- O
phosphorylation.
 CH3 CH3
C O C OH
C C
O- O O- O

NADH + H+ NAD+
 CH3 CH3
C O C OH There are several
C ways to finish this last
C
O- O O step, but all have
O-
problems: toxic waste
and inefficiency.

NADH + H+ NAD+
Fermentation is an internally balanced redox reaction:

a fermenting Organic acids,

Organics cell CO2, H2,
alcohols
 Fermentation is
ancient; the reactions
just described are
almost universally
conserved. Only one
thing is required
from the
environment, and no
cellular structures
(or cells) are
required.