Cycle 4 Workshop - Primary

Metabolism
Presented by the Biology Mentors
 Extremophile Profile
- Different organisms have different optimal growth rates
- Adapt to environment by changing internal bonding
structures.
- COLD = MORE RIGID = WEAK ARRANGEMENT
- HOT = LESS RIGID = STRONG ARRANGEMENT
- Growth Rate = Enzyme activity
Photosynthesis
● Endergonic rxn where carbon is reduced to a
carbohydrate and water is oxidized = + delta G
● Autotrophs perform photosynthesis to obtain
energy from light and CO2
● 2 phases: Light dependent (thylakoids) and Calvin
cycle (stroma)
● Product is G3P -> used in essential metabolic
processes of the organism
 Light dependent rxns
● Series of redox reactions
● Electrons are excited by light in the
photosystems
● Electrons are transferred based on redox
potential
● Electron transport is coupled w/ proton
pumping
● Proton gradient leads to ox phos and ATP
synthesis
 Excitation of electrons in photosystems
● P680 undergoes redox rxns to pass electrons on to
PS1
● P680 is bound to D1 -> constant redox of P680
damages D1
● Where would the gene encoding D1 be in Chlamy?
(Nucleus or Chloroplast)
Question
Question
26.Recall the photosystem II protein D1. Here are
two blots that show the abundance of D1 as a
function of time for a culture of Chlamydomonas
cells.
A show D1 abundance under low light.
B shows D1 abundance under the same low light
but the cells were pre-incubated with lincomycin,
a drug that blocks chloroplast protein synthesis.
Taking the results of both experiments together,
what can we reasonably conclude?
A. The constant abundance of D1 in A indicates that the protein is not being damaged.
B. Under high light, blot B would look similar to what is shown.
C. D1 is being damaged faster in B than in A.
D. In A, the rate of D1 repair keeps up with the rate of damage.
Calvin’s Cycle
● Happens in the stroma
● Converts CO2 into sugar
● RuBP regenerated each time
● Every three turns, produces one
G3P that will make a molecule of
glucose
Evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis

● Uses WATER instead of H2S to donate electrons -> know why this is so significant!!
● Water needs 2 photosystems to be fully oxidized
 Catabolism vs Anabolism

Energy is required build larger Energy is released from

molecules from smaller ones energy rich molecules to
(ex. Amino acid to protein obtain smaller molecules from
synthesis) larger ones (ex. Glycolysis )

Endergonic (+ΔG) Exergonic (-ΔG)

Respiration (Substrate Level Phosphorylation)
Question

What does the ratio of NADH:NAD+ and

ATP:ADP tell you about the state of the cell?
Some Things to Think about:
1. If there’s low levels of ATP, what would happen in the cell?
2. What processes would up-regulate if there are low levels of ATP?
3. If there’s high levels of NAD+, how would that affect the cell?
 Oxidative phosphorylation
Key Points:
1. Protein cofactors are being
oxidized/reduced NOT the
protein themselves.
2. ATP is NOT a product of the
electron transport chain,
rather it is a product of
chemiosmosis
3. The product of ETC is H2O
4. Ox Phos helps build the proton
gradient to drive the proton
motive force required during
chemiosmosis.
5. Some questions to think about:
a. Why do NADH and
FADH2 produce different
amounts of ATP?
 Uncoupling- why?

● Uncouplers produce holes

in the membrane allowing
H+ protons to pass back
through the membrane.
● Disrupts the proton
gradient
● Questions to ask yourself:
○ Why are uncouplers
bad to ingest?
Think about how uncouplers
can affect health
Fermentation

● Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase senses low levels of O2, it

then interferes and blocks the pyruvate dehydrogenase
complex (which normally brings pyruvate into the
mitochondria under normal O2 conditions)
● As a result, there is an up-regulation of glycolysis and
fermentation when there's no O2 present, to maximize ATP
production to the best of our abilities.
● Not very much ATP is generated but we are regenerating
NAD+
Warburg effect: aerobic glycolysis time
Question
Question
Question
Thanks for coming <3

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