Respiration in Plants:

Introduction:

 Plants do not have great demands for gaseous exchange. The rate of respiration in
plants is much lower than in animals. Large amounts of gases are exchanged only
during photosynthesis, and leaves are well equipped for that. The distance travelled by
gases in plants is not much and hence diffusion is enough to meet the need. Hence,
plants do not have specialized organs for exchange of gases. Lenticels and stomata
serve as the openings through which exchange of gases takes place in plants.

Respiration:
 The complete combustion of glucose yields energy during respiration. Most of the
energy produced during respiration is given out as heat. CO2 and H2O are the end
products of respiration.
 C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (heat)
 The energy produced during respiration is also used for synthesizing other molecules.
To ensure the adequate supply of energy for synthesis of different molecules; plants
catabolise the glucose molecule in such a way that not all the liberated energy goes
out as heat. Glucose is oxidized in several small steps. Some steps are large enough to
ensure that the released energy can be coupled with ATP synthesis.
 ATP acts as the energy currency of the cell.

Steps in Respiration:

Respiration happens in two main steps in all living beings, viz. glycolysis and processing of
pyruvate. Glycolysis involves breaking down glucose into pyruvate. This is common in all
living beings. Further processing of pyruvate depends on the aerobic or anaerobic nature of
an organism. In anaerobic respiration, pyruvate is further processed to produce either lactic
acid or ethyl alcohol. There is incomplete oxidation of glucose in anaerobic respiration. In
aerobic respiration, pyruvate is further processed to produce carbon dioxide and water;
alongwith energy. There is complete oxidation of glucose in case of aerobic respiration.

Glycolysis:

 The term has originated from the Greek word, glycos = glucose, lysis = splitting or
breakdown means breakdown of glucose molecule.
 The scheme of glycolysis was given by Gustav Embden, Otto Meyerhof and J
Parnas. Due to this, it is also called the EMP Pathway. Glycolysis takes place in the
cytoplasm.
 It is common in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
 It takes place outside the mitochondria, in the cytoplasm.
 One molecule of glucose (Hexose sugar) ultimately produces two molecules of
pyruvic acid through glycolysis.
 Glucose and fructose are phosphorylated to give rise to glucose-6-phosphate,
catalyzed by hexokinase.
 This phosphorylated form of glucose is then isomerizes to produce fructose-6-
phosphate.
 ATP utilized at two steps:
 ◦ First in the conversion of glucose into glucose-6-phosphate
◦ Second in fructose-6-phosphate→fructose 1, 6-diphosphate.

 The fructose-1, 6-diphosphate is split into dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 3-

phosphoglyceraldehyde (PGA).
 In one step where NADH + H+ is formed form NAD+; this is when 3-
phosphogleceraldehyde (PGAL) is converted into 1, 3-bisphophoglyceric acid
(DPGA).
 The conversion of 1, 3-bisphophoglyceric acid into 3-phosphoglyceric acid is also an
energy yielding process; this energy is trapped by the formation of ATP.
 Another ATP synthesized when phosphoenolpyruvate is converted into pyruvic acid.
 During this process 4 molecules of ATP are produced while 2 molecules of ATP are
utilized.
Thus net gain of ATP is of 2 molecules.
There are three major ways in which different cells handle pyruvic acid produced by
glycolysis:
 Lactic acid fermentation.
 Alcoholic fermentation.
 Aerobic respiration.

Fermentation:

Alcoholic fermentation :
• The incomplete oxidation of glucose is achieved under anaerobic conditions by sets of
reactions where pyruvic acid is converted into CO2 and ethanol.
• The enzyme pyruvic acid decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase catalyze these
reactions.
• NADH + H+ is reoxidised into NAD+.
pyruvate decorboxylase
Pyruvic acid Acetaldehyde + CO2
TPP, Mg2+

Acetaldehyde + NADH(+H+) alcohol

Ethyl alcohol + NAD+
dehydrogenase

Lactic acid fermentation:

• Pyruvic acid converted into lactic acid.
• It takes place in the muscle in anaerobic conditions.
• The reaction catalysed by lactate dehydrogenase.
• NADH + H+ is reoxidised into NAD+.

Pyruvic acid + NADH(+H+) lactate dehydrogenase

Lactic acid + NAD+
2+
FMN, Zn
Aerobic respiration:

 Pyruvic acid enters into the mitochondria.

 Complete oxidation of pyruvate by the stepwise removal of all the hydrogen atoms,
leaving three molecules of CO2.
 The passing on the electrons removed as part of the hydrogen atoms to molecular
oxygen (O2) with simultaneous synthesis of ATP.

The overall mechanism of aerobic respiration can be studied under the following steps :
 Glycolysis (EMP pathway)
 Oxidative Decarboxylation
 Krebs’s cycle (TCA-cycle)
 Oxidative phosphorylation

Oxidative decarboxylation:

 Pyruvic acid formed in the cytoplasm enters into mitochondria.

 Pyruvic acid is converted into Acetyl CoA in presence of pyruvate dehydrogenase
complex.
 The pyruvate dehydrogenase catalyses the reaction require several coenzymes,
including NAD+ and Coenzyme A.
 During this process two molecules of NADH are produced from metabolism of two
molecules of pyruvic acids (produced from one glucose molecule during glycolysis).
 The Acetyl CoA (2c) enters into a cyclic pathway, tricarboxylic acid cycle.
Tri Carboxylic Acid Cycle (Krebs cycle) or Citric acid Cycle :

 This cycle starts with condensation of acetyl group with oxaloacetic acid and water to
yield citric acid. This reaction is catalysed by citrate synthase.
 Citrate is isomerised to form isocitrate.
 It is followed by two successive steps of decarboxylation, leading to formation of α-
ketoglutaric acid and then succinyl-CoA.
 In the remaining steps the succinyl CoA oxidized into oxaloacetic acid.
 During conversion of succinyl CoA to succinic acid there is synthesis of one GTP
molecule.
 In a coupled reaction GTP converted to GDP with simultaneous synthesis of ATP
from ADP.
 During Krebs cycle there production of :
o 2 molecule of CO2
o 3 NADH2
o 1 FADH2
o 1 GTP.
 During the whole process of oxidation of glucose produce:
o CO2
o 10 NADH2
o 2 FADH2
o 2 GTP.( 2 ATP)
Electron Transport System (ETS) and Oxidative Phosphorylation:

 The metabolic pathway, through which the electron passes from one carrier to
 It is present
another, in theElectron
is called inner mitochondrial membrane.
transport system.
 ETS comprises of the following:
o Complex I – NADH Dehydrogenase.
o Complex II – succinate dehydrogenase.
o Complex III – cytochromes bc1
o Complex IV – Cytochromes a-a3 (cytochromes c oxidase).
o Complex V – ATP synthase.
o
 NADH2 produced in the citric acid cycle oxidized by NADH Dehydrogenase, and
electrons are then transferred to ubiquinone located in the inner membrane.
 FADH2 is oxidized by succinate dehydrogenase and transferred electrons to
ubiquinone.
 The reduced ubiquinone is then oxidized with transfer of electrons to cytochrome c
via cytochromes bc1 complex.
 Cytochrome c is small protein attached to the outer surface of the inner membrane and
acts as a mobile carrier for transfer electrons from complex III and complex IV.
 When electrons transferred from one carrier to another via complex I to IV in the
electron transport chain, they are coupled to ATP synthase for the synthesis of ATP
from ADP and Pi.
 One molecule of NADH2 gives rise to 3 ATP.
 One molecule of FADH2 gives rise to 2ATP.
 Oxygen plays a vital role in removing electrons and hydrogen ion finally production
of H2O.
 Phosphorylation in presence of oxygen is called oxidative phosphorylation.
Respiratory Balance Sheet:

The respiratory balance sheet gives theoretical value about net gain of ATP for every glucose
molecule oxidized. The calculations for respiratory balance sheet are based on some
assumptions which are as follows:

 Glycolysis 2ATP + 2NADH2 (6ATP) = 8ATP

 Oxidative decarboxylation 2NADH2 (6ATP) = 6ATP
 Krebs’s Cycle 2GTP (2ATP) + 6NADH2 (18ATP) + 2FADH2 (4ATP) = 24 ATP
 Energy production in prokaryotes during aerobic respiration = 38 ATP
 Energy production in eukaryotes during aerobic respiration = 38 − 2 = 36 ATP
 (2ATP are used up in transporting 2 molecule of pyruvic acid in mitochondria.)

But these assumptions may not be valid in a living system because all pathways work
simultaneously. There can be a net gain of 36 ATP molecules during aerobic respiration of
one molecule of glucose.

Comparison between fermentation and aerobic respiration:

 Fermentation accounts for only a partial breakdown of glucose whereas in aerobic

respiration it is completely degraded to CO2 and H2O.
 In fermentation there is a net gain of only two molecules of ATP for each molecule of
glucose degraded to pyruvic acid whereas many more molecules of ATP are
generated under aerobic conditions.
 NADH is oxidised to NAD+ rather slowly in fermentation, however the reaction is
very vigorous in case of aerobic respiration.
Amphibolic Pathway:

Glucose is the most favoured substrate for respiration. Other substrates can also be respired
but they do not enter the respiratory pathway at the first step. Respiratory process involves
both catabolism and anabolism; because breakdown and synthesis of substrates are involved.
Hence, respiratory pathway is considered as an amphibolic pathway rather than a catabolic
one.

Respiratory Quotient

The ratio of the volume of CO2 evolved to the volume of O2 consumed during respiration is
called the respiratory quotient (RQ) or respiratory ratio. The RQ for carbohydrates is 1. The
RQ for fat and protein is less than 1.

Reaction for respiration of fat:

When proteins are respiratory substrates the ratio would be about 0.9.
What is important to recognise is that in living organisms respiratory substances are often
more than one; pure proteins or fats are never used as respiratory substrates.