Respiration notes

Differentiate between catabolic and anabolic metabolism

Catabolism involves the breakdown of nutrients e.g. cellular respiration and fermentation
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical processes within a living organism.

Outline the main processes involved in respiration

Cellular respiration take place through 3 steps.
1. Glycolysis
 spitting of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate
 occurs in cytosol
 redox reactions

2. The kreb cycle

 Decomposes pyruvate into CO2
 Occurs in the mitochondrial matrix
 redox reactions

3. The electron transport system

 ATP synthesis
 Redox reactions

Explain the role of redox reactions in respiration

Redox reactions play a role in the release of energy in respiration.
In cellular respiration, the redox reactions release the energy stored in organic fuels in order to
generate ATP. The energy of organic fuels such as glucose is due to its high energy electrons. The
redox reactions remove these electrons from the fuel and pass them along increasingly
electronegative molecules, ending with oxygen. The energy released from these exergonic
reactionsis coupled by chemiosmosis to generate ATP.

C6H12O6 + 602
Losses hydrogen GAIN OF ELECTRONS

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP (energy)

C6H12O6 + 6 02 6 => CO2 + 6 H2O +
ATP
reducing agent Oxidising agent Oxidised form Reduced form
loses hydrogen Gains hydrogen
electron donor Electron donor

Describe the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

Cellular Respiration is an ATP producing process in which the ultimate electron acceptor is an
inorganic molecule, such as oxygen. It is the most abundant and efficient catabolic process. It is an
exergonic process producing a delta G of -686 kcal/mol of glucose.
The process of respiration transfers the energy stored in food molecules to ATP. If all the stored
energy of the sugar molecules was released at one time, the body could not use it efficiently.
Organisms use ATP molecules to capture and release small amounts of energy to run various bodily
functions. ATP is unique in its function as an energy transferrer. The molecule contains the
nitrogenous base adenine connected to three molecules of phosphorous. The bonds between the last
2 phosphates are high energy bonds. When ATP releases the terminal (end) phosphate, energy is
released while forming a new compound ADP.

Describe the role of nucleotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in

respiration

Explain the main functions of glycolysis, the Kreb’s cycle and the
electron transport system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE2jfTXAJHg

In simple terms describe carbohydrate metabolism