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MTY 1107 - LECTURE

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BIOCHEMISTRY
TOPIC: BIOENERGETICS SEMESTER

BIOENERGETICS ▪ The relation between enthalpy and entropy shown in the

equation below gives the value of the free energy:
▪ Living organisms produce energy to grow and to
𝜟𝑮 = 𝜟𝑯 − 𝑻𝜟𝑺
reproduce
▪ The “∆” notation signifies a change. For chemical
▪ Carry out energy transductions: conversions of one form
reactions, ∆𝑇 (where 𝑇 can be any property you wish to
of energy to another form
measure in a reaction) means:
∆𝑇 = 𝑇𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 − 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠
▪ Thus, ∆𝐻 is
∆𝐻 = 𝐻𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 − 𝐻𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠
▪ or ∆𝐺 is
∆𝐺 = 𝐺𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 − 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠
▪ A ∆𝐺 < 0 means that the free energy of the product is
less than the free energy of the reactants.
quantitative study of the energy transductions that occur in living
cells and of the nature and function of the chemical process
underlying these transductions

FREE ENERGY, G
▪ Direction and extent to which a chemical reaction
proceeds is determined by the degree to which two
factors:
ENTHALPY
- measure of the change in heat content of the
reactants and products
ENTROPY
- a measure of the
change in randomness
or disorder of reactants
and products ▪ The change in 𝐺, denoted as ∆𝐺, can be negative or
▪ Neither of these positive.
thermodynamic quantities ▪ When ∆𝐺 is negative is defined as an exergonic reaction.
by itself is sufficient to These reactions are spontaneous processes which means
determine whether a that the chemical reaction released energy. This energy
chemical reaction will can be used to do work somewhere else.
proceed spontaneously ▪ When ∆𝐺 is positive, this means that the process is an
▪ However, when combined endergonic reaction. This reaction is nonspontaneous,
mathematically, enthalpy which means that the reaction used up energy and work
and entropy can be used to had to be done to provide energy that was used.
define a third quantity, free
Phosphoryl Group Transfers and ATP
energy (G), which predicts
the direction in which a ▪ ATP is the chemical link between catabolism and
reaction will spontaneously anabolism.
proceed. ▪ It is the energy currency of the living cell.
▪ The exergonic conversion of ATP to ADP and Pi, or to AMP
Gibbs free energy, 𝑮, tells about the spontaneity of a process;
and PPi, is coupled to many endergonic reactions and
has two components:
processes.
▪ Enthalpy, 𝑯 – can be thought of as heat content of the
system under study and is closely approximated by the
number and kinds of bonds (remember, bonds have
energies) and interaction present in a molecule or
between molecules or groups.
▪ Entropy, 𝑺 – a measure of the randomness or disorder of
the system.
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▪ Direct hydrolysis of ATP is the source of energy in some NADH and NADPH
processes driven by conformational changes, but in
▪ Many biological oxidation reactions are dehydrogenations
general it is not ATP hydrolysis but the transfer of a
in which one or two hydrogen atoms (H+ + e-) are
phosphoryl, pyrophosphoryl, or adenylyl group from ATP
transferred from a substrate to a hydrogen acceptor.
to a substrate or enzyme that couples the energy of ATP
Oxidation-reduction reactions in living cells involve
breakdown to endergonic transformations of substrates.
specialized electron carriers.
▪ NAD and NADP are the freely diffusible coenzymes of
many dehydrogenases. Both NAD+ and NADP+ accept two
electrons and one proton.

▪ Through these group transfer reactions, ATP provides the

energy for anabolic reactions, including the synthesis of
informational macromolecules, and for the transport of
molecules and ions across membranes against
concentration gradients and electrical potential gradients.

FAD and FMN

▪ FAD and FMN, the flavin nucleotides, serve as tightly
bound prosthetic groups of flavoproteins. They can accept
either one or two electrons and one or two protons.
Flavoproteins also serve as light receptors in
cryptochromes and photolyases.

▪ Cells contain other metabolites with large, negative, free

energies of hydrolysis. These high-energy compounds, like
ATP, have a high phosphoryl group transfer potential.

Biological Reduction-Oxidation Reaction

▪ The flow of electrons can do biological work.
▪ In many organisms, a central energy-conserving process is
the stepwise oxidation of glucose to CO2, in which some
of the energy of oxidation is conserved in ATP as electrons
are passed to O2.
▪ Biological oxidation-reduction reactions can be described
in terms of two half-reactions, each with a characteristic
standard reduction potential, E’°.
▪ The standard free-energy change for an oxidation-
reduction reaction is directly proportional to the
difference in standard reduction potentials of the two
half-cells: ΔG’° = -nFE’°.

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