MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND METABOLISM (MIC 322)

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 Metabolism
• Microbiology Prescott 11th Edition

• Unless otherwise stated, the tables and figures are from the
Textbook.

• Chapter 12

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1. List the features common to all types of metabolism

a. Organisms cannot make energy instead they

must get their energy, which must be
captured or conserved from their
environment.
Life obeys all laws of thermodynamics
b. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) supplies the
energy needed for certain chemical reactions to
proceed.
c. Oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions play a
critical role in energy conservation; many of the
redox reactions occur in the ETC.
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Cellular Work and Energy Transfers
Cellular Work
• Cells must do work in order to survive and
reproduce
• Three major types:
– Chemical Work
– Transport Work
– Mechanical Work

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 Chemical Work
Anabolism: synthesis of complex biological
molecules from simpler precursors

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 Transport Work
This involves energy to take up nutrients,
eliminate wastes and maintain ion balances.

Ions and molecules are transported across cell

membranes against concentration and
electrochemical gradients

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 Mechanical Work
This involves energy required for cell motility,
and the movement of cellular structures during
cell division

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 ATP-Energy Currency of the Cell
• Cellular energy stored in the form of ATP
• Thermodynamics covers how energy is stored
in ATP and how ATP is used to do cellular
work.

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 Thermodynamics
• Thermodynamics:
• Concerned with the initial and final states of a
system
• Not with the Rate of the process

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 Laws of Thermodynamics
Laws of thermodynamics
First Law: Energy cannot be created or
destroyed
Second Law: Physical and chemical processes
proceed in sush a way that randomness
increases
As for the system, entropy can increase,
decrease or remain the same

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 Units of Energy
Calorie:
Joules:

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1. List the features common to all types of metabolism

a. Organisms cannot make energy instead they

must get their energy, which must be
captured or conserved from their
environment.
Life obeys all laws of thermodynamics
b. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) supplies the
energy needed for certain chemical reactions to
proceed.
c. Oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions play a
critical role in energy conservation; many of the
redox reactions occur in the ETC.
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Cellular Work and Energy Transfers
Cellular Work
• Cells must do work in order to survive and
reproduce
• Three major types:
– Chemical Work: involves the synthesis of complex
biological molecules from simple precurssors
– Transport Work: energy is required to take up
nutrient, maintain ion balances and eliminate
wastes
– Mechanical Work: required for cell motility, cell
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 Units of Energy
Calorie
A calorie: amount of heat energy needed to
raise 1 gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5oC
Joules: Unit of work capable of being done.
1 Calorie of heat is equivalent to 4,1840 J
1000 calories: boil 1.9 ml H2O)
1000 Joules can: boil 0.44 ml of H20

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Free Energy Change Predicts the Nature of a
Chemical Reaction
First and Second laws can be rolled into an
equation.
ΔG= ΔH- T ΔS
G=Change in Free energy
H: Change in Enthalpy = Change in Heat
Content)
S=Change in Entropy = Change in Total
Energy during the reaction
T=(oC+ 273)K
(at Constant pressure and volume)
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Free Energy Change Predicts the Nature of a
Chemical Reaction
• If ΔG is negative
• Free energy decreases
• Decrease in entropy will make ΔG positive and less
desirable
• Positive change in entropy, negative ΔG
• Change in free energy has relationship to the
direction of the chemical reaction.
Differentiate between exergonic and Endergonic
reactions

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Free Energy Change Predicts the Nature of a
Chemical Reaction
Change in free energy has relationship to the
direction of the chemical reaction.
A+B C+D

If molecules A and B are mixed, they combine to

form C and D.

Eventually C and D will become concentrated to

produce A and B at the same rate C and D were
formed
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Free Energy Change Predicts the Nature of a
Chemical Reaction
At equilibrium, rate in both directions are equal with
no net charge
Equilibrium constant (Keq) = [C] [D]
[A] [B]
If Keq>1, products are in greater concentration than
reactants in equilibrium.
Reaction will tend to go to completion
Keq is directly related to the change in free energy

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 Nutritional types of organisms: based on
Energy source
• Phototrophs
– Aerobic Photosynthesizers
– Anaerobic photosynthesizers
General formula for photosynthesis
6CO2+ 6H2O + light energy C6H12O6 +6O2

• Chemotrophs
– Oxidation-reduction reaction of nutrient
substrates
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 Nutritional types of organisms: based on
Hydrogen donors
• Organotrophs
– Use organic compounds as hydrogen
donors.

• Litotrophs
– Use inorganic hydrogen donors such as Fe,
S, CO2

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 Nutritional types of organisms: based on
carbon source
• Autotrophs
– By CO2 fixation
• Heterotroph
– By assimilation of organic compounds

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 Cellular Metabolism

• Requires chemical energy in the form of ATP

• Cellular Respiration
• glycolysis
• pyruvate oxidation
• the citric acid or Krebs cycle
• oxidative phosphorylation

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 Cellular Metabolism: Glycolysis

• Anaerobic process which occurs in the

cytoplasm
• Pyruvate (pyruvic acid) is produced
• Yields 2 ATP
• Fermentation of pyruvate yields
– 2 Lactate or
– 2 CO2 and 2 Ethanol

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Cellular Metabolism: Stage 2- Cellular Respiration

• Aerobic process which occurs in

– Cell membrane of Prokaryotes
– Mitochondria of Eukaryotes
• Consists of Krebs (citric acid) cycle and the
electron transport chain (ETC)
• Increases amount of ATP generated by
glycolysis by eighteen-fold (36 ATP)

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 Cellular Metabolism: Oxidation-Reduction (Redox):
reactions
• Oxidation: molecules lose electrons
• Reduction molecules gain electrons
(Formula: OILRIG means oxidation is loss, reduction is
gain)
Carriers: Store energy produced in redox reactions
1. Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)
2. Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD)
Electron Transport Chain
• Requires Oxygen
• Generates proton gradients from energy stored in
reduced NAD and FAD to form ATP
• Oxygen is the final electron acceptor
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