Cellular respiration

•Metabolism is referred to all of the chemicals reactions occuring

within an organism.
•Anabolism – synthetic reactions in which small molecules are used
to buit bigger molecules, energy requred.
•Catabolism – large molecules are broken down to form smaller
molecules, energy released is used to synthesis ATP (energy rich
molecule)
•Chemical reactions occur in series, with the product of one reaction
becoming the substrate for the next. Each step requires specific
enzyme as it is specific for its particular reaction. Therefore, many
enzymes required in chemical reactions, such as in aerobic
respiration, at least 50 enzymes required.
 Aerobic respiration

• The process by which the cells of organisms break down

simple food materials in the presence of oxygen to
produce carbon dioxide, water and relatively large
amount of energy for their life processes.
• Four stages of aerobic respiration; 1. glycolysis 2.
Formation of acetyl coenzyme A, 3. Citric acid cycle 4.
Electron transport
• Glycolysis occur in the cytoplasm, the rest steps take
place in mitochondria.
• The cells that are most active, such as muscle cells, have
many mitochondria within them.
 Glycolysis

•Splitting sugar – the cell splits the six-carbon

glucose molecule into 2, three-carbon molecules
of pyruvic acid
•Does not require oxygen, it can proceed under
aerobic or anaerobic conditions
•2 ATP and 2 NADH are produced
•Occur in cytoplasm
 Formation of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA)

• Each molecule of pyruvic acid passes into matrix of the

mitochondrion where it is degraded to a two carbon fuel
molecule (an acetyl group) that combines with coenzyme
A, forming acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA).
• The carbon removed from pyruvic acid is released as
carbon dioxide, hydrogens are also removed and
combine with NAD+ to form NADH.
• The formation of acetyl CoA is an important intermediate
step in the aerobic respiration because it prepares the
fuel molecules to enter the citric acid cycle/kreb cycle.
• 2 NADH produced
 Citric acid cycle

• Series of reactions in which the acetyl

portion of acetyl CoA is degraded to CO2,
hydrogens are released.
• 2CO2, 6NADH, 2FADH2, 2ATP are released
• NADH and FADH2 will be converted to ATP in
electron transport chain (last step in aerobic
respiration)
 Electron transport

• Chain of several electron transport molecules

• Hydrogens or their electron are passed along
chain
• Energy released is used to form proton
gradient
• ATP is synthesized as protons move across the
gradient
• Oxygen is final electron acceptor
• ATP and H2O produced
 Energy (ATP) Yield from Aerobic Respiration of
Glucose

• Net ATP profit from glycolysis 2 ATP

• Also from glycolysis 2 NADH → 4-6 ATP
• 2 pyruvid acid to 2 acetyl CoA 2 NADH → 6 ATP
• 2 acetyl CoA through citric acid cycle 2 ATP
6 NADH → 18 ATP
2 FADH2 → 4 ATP

TOTAL PRODUCTION = 36-38 ATP

1 NADH = 3 ATP
1 FADH2 = 2 ATP
Formation of acetyl CoA and Citric acid cycle
Citric acid cycle
Formation of acetyl CoA and Citric acid cycle
Electron Transport Chain
 Anaerobic respiration

• Lactic acid fermentation

• Occur in the absence of oxygen
• Glucose is only partly broken down, less energy
produced (2 ATP)
• Glucose → lactic acid + energy
• Lactic acid produced is poisonous to the cells, it
will be converted to lactate which may be
dissolved in the blood and carried to the liver and
converted to pyruvate and respired aerobically
•Aerobic respiration
• glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy

•Anerobic respiration / Lactic acid fermentation

•Glucose lactic acid + energy
C6H12O6 2C3H6O3 + energy