Metabolism Flashcards
(61 cards)
Describe oxidative phosphorylation.
Electrons are transferred to the electron transport chain, creating a proton gradient used by ATP synthase to form ATP.
What happens to electrons in the electron transport chain?
Electrons move from a higher to a lower energy level, releasing energy that pumps protons to form a gradient.
What is the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain?
Oxygen, which forms water.
What enzyme synthesizes ATP as protons flow down their gradient?
ATP synthase.
Name two important electron carriers in cellular respiration.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide).
What happens when NAD+ or FAD picks up electrons?
They are reduced to NADH and FADH2, respectively.
What happens when NADH or FADH2 donates electrons?
They return to their oxidized forms, NAD+
and FAD.
Why does the cell transfer electrons through the electron transport chain?
To release energy gradually and capture it as ATP.
Why do electrons release energy when moving from glucose to oxygen?
They move from a higher-energy state (less electronegative atoms) to a lower-energy state (more electronegative oxygen).
What is cellular respiration
A metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose into carbon dioxide and water, producing ATP
Name the four major stages of cellular respiration.
Glycolysis, Pyruvate oxidation, Citric acid cycle, and Oxidative phosphorylation.
Where does glycolysis occur, and what does it produce?
In the cytosol; it produces two pyruvates, ATP, and NADH from one glucose.
What happens during pyruvate oxidation?
Pyruvate is converted to acetyl CoA in the mitochondrial matrix, releasing CO₂ and generating NADH.
What is oxidative phosphorylation?
A process where NADH and FADH₂ transfer electrons to the electron transport chain, generating ATP via a proton gradient.
Can glycolysis occur without oxygen?
Yes, glycolysis can occur anaerobically through fermentation.
Why are the last three stages of cellular respiration oxygen-dependent?
Pyruvate oxidation and the citric acid cycle rely on oxidative phosphorylation, which requires oxygen directly.
What is glycolysis?
Glycolysis is a series of reactions that extract energy from glucose by splitting it into two three-carbon molecules called pyruvates.
Where does glycolysis occur in the cell?
Glycolysis takes place in the cytosol of the cell.
What are the two main phases of glycolysis?
The energy-requiring phase (investment phase) and the energy-releasing phase (payoff phase).
What happens during the energy-requiring phase of glycosis?
Glucose is rearranged and phosphorylated to form fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, using two ATP molecules.
What happens during the energy-releasing phase?
Two three-carbon sugars are converted into pyruvate, producing four ATP and two NADH molecules.
Which enzyme regulates glycolysis?
Phosphofructokinase, which catalyzes the formation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, regulates glycolysis based on the cell’s energy needs. It is inhibited by high ATP levels and activated by high AMP levels, helping balance the cell’s energy needs.
What is the role of pyruvate oxidation in cellular respiration?
Pyruvate oxidation links glycolysis to the citric acid cycle, converting pyruvate into acetyl CoA, which is used as fuel for the citric acid cycle.
Where does pyruvate oxidation occur in eukaryotes?
In eukaryotes, pyruvate oxidation takes place in the mitochondrial matrix.