Let’s Review what we have so far…

The Electron Transport System (ETC)

and Oxidative Phosphorylation
• Basically, the ETC is a chain of electron carriers embedded in
the inner membrane of the mitochondria.
• In a series of REDOX reactions, the chain passes electrons
from NADH produced by the CAC and glycolysis to OXYGEN.
• The chain uses the electron flow to PUMP protons across the
inner membrane storing energy in the form of a proton
gradient. The gradient powers an ATPase that phosporylates
ADP when protons pass through the enzyme on the way back
down the gradient. ATP production driven by the ETC is
called OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION.
Let’s watch this video – add to your
notes!
• The electron transport chain is a series of electron carriers and
proteins that are embedded in the inner membrane of the
mitochondrion, as shown in the previous slide.
• Electrons donated by NADH and FADH2 are transported
through this chain, providing the energy needed for oxidative
phosphorylation.
• OXYGEN is the ultimate electron acceptor (that’s why we
breathe oxygen!!!!!!)
Summary statement on the ETC
• Through glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, every carbon atom in a
molecule of glucose is converted into carbon dioxide.
• However, very few ATP molecules have been produced.
• Most of the energy is still in the form of the reduced electron carriers,
NADH and FADH2.
• By this point, no oxygen has been used.
• The majority of the ATP molecules produced during aerobic respiration
come from the process of oxidative phosphorylation. It is not until
the end of this part of the overall process of aerobic respiration that
oxygen acts as the FINAL electron acceptor and is converted to water.
 Oxidative phosphorylation and the electron transport chain
2H+

ADP + Pi ADP + Pi ADP + Pi

Reduced FAD
NAD oxid oxid
H2 O
red oxid red
Hydrogen Hydrogen Electron Electron Electron
carrier carrier carrier carrier carrier
red oxid red oxid red
NAD 1
/2O2
Reduced
FAD
ATP ATP ATP
ADP + Pi
Energy level in relation to oxygen

Reduced ATP
NAD

Hydrogen
carrier
Hydrogen ADP + Pi
carrier
Electron ATP ADP + Pi
carrier
Electron ATP
carrier
Electron
carrier

/2O2
1 H2O
Chemiosmosis

• The energy from the reduced NADH and FADH2 is used to

establish an electrochemical gradient called a hydrogen ion
gradient.
• The reducing power of NADH and FADH2 is stored as electrical
potential energy in this gradient. This gradient can be compared
with water behind a hydroelectric dam.
• Similarly, the inner mitochondrial membrane restricts the
passage of hydrogen ions along their concentration gradient. As
a result, the concentration of hydrogen ions increases within the
intermembrane space, and there is a corresponding increase in
positive charge in the intermembrane space relative to the
matrix. This electrical potential energy is converted into the
chemical potential energy of ATP by complexes
called ATP synthases
ATP synthase animation:
• The passage of hydrogen ions through the inner mitochondrial
membrane is restricted to facilitated diffusion through the centre
of an ATP synthase complex. When electrons are moving down
their gradient through an ATP synthase complex, the energy is
used to phosphorylate ADP to form ATP. This process is
called chemiosmosis.
Chemiosmosis
Let’s summarize and count the ATP…
Net ATP yield during aerobic respiration of one molecule of glucose
Complete the remaining boxes – complete this chart:

Respiratory process Number of reduced Number of ATP Number of ATP Total number of ATP
hydrogen molecules molecules molecules
carrier formed from formed by
molecules reduced substrate level
formed hydrogen phosphorylation
carriers by
oxidative
Glycolysis 2 reduced NAD phosphorylation
(glucose →
pyruvate)
Link reaction
2 reduced
(pyruvate → acetyl
NAD
CoA)
Krebs cycle 6 reduced
NAD
2 reduced FAD

Total
ATP =

Mr. Galajda SBI4U

Net ATP yield during aerobic respiration of one molecule of glucose
Complete the remaining boxes:

Respiratory process Number of reduced Number of ATP Number of ATP Total number of ATP
hydrogen molecules molecules molecules
carrier formed from formed by
molecules reduced substrate level
formed hydrogen phosphorylation
carriers by
oxidative
Glycolysis 2 reduced NAD 2 x phosphorylation
2 or 3 = 4 or 6 4–2=2 6 or 8
(glucose →
pyruvate)
Link reaction
2 reduced 2x3=6 0 6
(pyruvate → acetyl
NAD
CoA)
Krebs cycle 6 reduced 6 x 3 = 18
NAD
2 reduced FAD 2 24
2x2=4

Total 36 or
ATP = 38
What about other macromolecules for
energy?
• Glucose is fuel for cellular respiration. But what about other
molecules?
• All food molecules (carbs, proteins and fats) can be used by
cellular respiration to make ATP.
• Proteins can be converted for fuel, but first they must be digested
to their constituent amino acids - which can then enter at various
sites depending on the amino acid. Amino groups must however
first be removed in a process known as deanimation (nitrogenous
refuse is excreted as ammonia or urea in our urine).
• Fats make an excellent fuel because they are rich in hydrogen.
How much ATP does protein produce?
• Proteins are the least favorite food to use as energy but if the
body needs to, it will.  
• Proteins are made up of amino acids so when they are
digested, we are left with hundreds or thousands of amino acids
• In order to use amino acids as energy, you need to convert
them to sugars. Sugars are made of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. Fats are mostly carbon and hydrogens. Amino acids
have carbon atoms, hydrogen, oxygen and NITROGEN atoms
DEAMINATION of amino acids!
• If we are going to turn amino acids into sugars, we have to remove this
nitrogen to turn it into sugar. The process of removing that amino group is
called deamination (taking away the amino group, NH2).
• When you remove that NH2, you actually form NH3(Ammonia). Then in
your liver, this ammonia is turned into Urea which is basically a carbon and
oxygen with two amino groups.
• Your liver releases this urea into the blood stream and is the major organic
waste carried in our blood stream. When they clinically measure the
amount of urea in your blood, that is commonly known as the BUN level.
BUN stands for Blood Urea Nitrogen (Urea contains Nitrogen). This blood
is then filtered by our kidneys and appears in our urine as the major
organic waste of our urine.
• So we’ve explained how amino groups are removed so it doesn’t
have nitrogen so chemically we are left with carbons, hydrogens
and oxygens like a sugar. What is this new amino-acid-minus-the-
amine-group called?
• Now that it doesn’t have the amino group, it’s still an acid and it’s
called a keto acid (aka “ketone bodies”). The keto acid can be
reversibly formed into acetyl sugar.
• When the body makes sugar that wasn’t a sugar, such as
ketoacids into acetyl sugars, that’s known as gluconeogenesis.
This name is generally reserved for proteins specifically.
So…how how ATP does protein
produce?
• It varies with different amino acid.
• For example Valine can be broken down to Acetyl-CoA which enters
the TCA cycle to produce energy, while Isoleucine is broken down to
both Acetyl-CoA and Propionyl-CoA.
How much ATP do lipids produce?
Here we go…β- oxidation.
• When your body runs out of glucose, it turns to fat for energy,
which has 9 calories in every gram. This is a little more than
double the amount in carbohydrates.
• Converting fat into energy takes longer than it does to convert
glucose into energy, because fat must be first be broken down
into its two component parts: fatty acid and glycerol. This
process is known as β- oxidation . Each part follows a separate
pathway to ultimately become available as energy. One
common saturated fat, palmitic acid, makes 130 molecules of
ATP for each molecule of fat.
Just watch this video on Beta-oxidation (we don’t have to
memorize it – just understand that fat produces many, many,
many ATP)
ATP molecule
ATP molecule

Adenosine P P P

Chemical energy from respiration

used to build these high energy
bonds
Breakdown of ATP

Adenosine P P P ADP

Energy released for living

processes e.g movement,
protein synthesis, active
transport etc.
Great review video – you should
understand this!