Catabolic Reactions: ATP

the Superhero
SBI4U: Lesson 2
Review

Recall: Catabolic Pathway

A Catabolic reaction, or Catabolism, is a process where we are breaking down

large molecules.
This includes food molecules!

The purpose of catabolic reactions is to provide energy and components

needed to build our macromolecules in Anabolism.
Catabolic Reactions in Humans

The main macromolecule that we use in our cells as energy is GLUCOSE

Its a sugar
Its the same glucose that all other animal cells also need for energy

This is why we have things like a Sugar Rush

However we dont use glucose in its raw form for energy, it goes through a
refinement
Structure of Glucose

Contains
6 Carbon Atoms
6 Oxygen Atoms
12 Hydrogen Atoms

Arranged in a Hexagonal Ring

Chemical Formula: C6H12O6

Cellular Respiration

We use glucose as our primary fuel for the process of Cellular Respiration

Cellular Respiration: a set of Metabolic reactions which take place in the cells
of organisms to convert sugar into usable energy

There are two organelles that are involved

Cytoplasm
Mitochondria
Cellular Respiration Cont
Cellular Respiration can be broken down into 3 Main pathways which will provide
our body with energy

1. Glycolysis
2. Krebs (Citric Acid) Cycle
3. Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

We need all three of these pathways to convert our sugars with oxygen into usable
energy

After this process is complete, we can break down 1 glucose molecule and 6
oxygen molecules into 6 molecules of Oxygen, 6 molecules of CO2, 6 molecules of
water, and ENERGY!
But how do we store our energy?

Brainstorm with your partner for 3 minutes.

ATP
We store our energy in the form of the Nucleotide based molecule Adenosine
Tri-Phosphate
Uses Adenine, the nucleotide found in DNA
Contains 3 (tri) phosphate groups
Uses a ribose sugar to connect Adenine and the phosphate

Called the Currency of the Cell

Why is ATP important
How do We Use ATP

In the body, different processes will release the energy stored in ATP by
breaking off the third phosphate group

In doing so, the energy will be released and will power whatever process was
calling for ATP
This is every process in the human body.
How to we Create ATP?

Through the processes of Cellular respiration!

1. Glycolysis
2. Krebs Cycle
3. ETC
Glycolysis

Occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell in all animal cells, including ours!

First step is called Glucose Activation

Glucose undergoes Phosphorylation
Phosphorylation: the adding of a phosphate group to a molecule through the
breakdown of ATP
To breakdown Glucose it COSTS ATP!
Creates glucose-6-phosphate

Spend Money to Make Money

Glycolysis Cont

Once Glucose is phosphorylated, enzymes come in to re-arrange it to form a

phosphorylated fructose sugar called fructose-6-phosphate.

Finally, another ATP is used to add a second phosphate group to Fructose,

forming Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate
Sugar Cutting

The next step is to now take the fructose -1,6,-bisphosphate molecule and
cut it down into more manageable pieces
Turns into dihydroxyacetonephosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
(D3P)
For simplicity, DHAP is converted to D3P, creating two D3P molecules in total after
sugar splitting!

KEEP IN MIND: At every step of the way, we are speeding up the reactions in
the cell using specific enzymes
Also because one fructose-1,6-phosphate becomes 2 G3P molecules, all of the next
reactions happen 2 times
Oxidation

Now these G3P molecules move onto the next step, however they again need
to be phosphorylated
The catch is that there is no more ATP to fund this!

Because of this, G3P goes through OXIDATION to get its phosphate group
Gives up a hydrogen atom to the molecule NAD+ to create 2 NADH
Produces energy to attach a pre-existing phosphate group onto G3P

End result is 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (BPG)

Forming ATP

The final, and most important step of Glycolysis

We regenerate the 2 ATPs we spent in the first step by giving up 1 phosphate
molecule and attaching it to ADP
Using another enzyme, the two 3PGs are rearranged to form two 2-
phosphoglycerates (2PG)
The 2PGs then undergo rearrangement again, but this time one water
molecule is released from each, creating phosphoenolpyruvate, or PEP
Lastly PEPs have another return on investment and had 2 ADP come and
remove the phosphate groups, creating 2 more ATP again, resulting in 2
molecules called Pyruvate
In the end

We start with Glucose and 2 ATP

We change it, cut it and run it through Oxidation and end up creating 2
pyruvate and 4 ATP