Cell Processes

Cellular
Respiration
Week 8

Obtaining and converting energy

from nutrients
Where do we
get our
energy from?
 How do
cells
harvest the
energy
stored in
food?
Through the digestive system, the body
acquires the food it needs to fuel all cells

However, for cells to

perform this process,
stored energy must be
first converted into
ATP through the
process of cellular
respiration
Energy needs of
life
 All life needs a constant input of energy
Heterotrophs
 get their energy from eating others: “other
Consumers
feeders”  Animals
 consumers of other organisms  Fungi
 Most bacteria
 consume organic molecules
Autotrophs
 get their energy from “self”
Producers
 Plants
 get their energy from sunlight
 Photosynthetic
 use light energy to synthesize organic bacteria (blue-green
molecules alga)
How are they connected?
Heterotrophs
making energy & organic molecules from ingesting organic molecules
glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy

C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

Autotrophs
making energy & organic molecules from light energy
carbon dioxide + water + light energy glucose + oxygen

6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy C6H12O6 + 6O2

How are they connected?
Cellular Respiration
- is the process of extracting energy in the form of ATP from the
glucose in the food you eat
- occurs in all living organisms both autotrophs and heterotrophs
HOW?
glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
Aerobic Respiration Anaerobic Respiration
Most eukaryotes perform aerobic Some eukaryotic cells resort to an
respiration, which depends on oxygen to alternative method, anaerobic respiration
produce ATP. when oxygen is unavailable.
 Citric Acid Cycle The Electron
Glycolysis or Krebs Cycle Transport Chain

Stages of Cellular Respiration

The ATP conversion process
GLYCOLYSIS

- is the first stage; means “splitting of sugar”

- is a ten-step process that breaks down 1 molecule of glucose (a
six-carbon molecule) into 2 three-carbon molecules of pyruvate
or pyruvic acid and releases 4 molecules of ATP
- occurs in the cytoplasm and produces ATP without using oxygen
- each step is catalyzed by a specific enzyme
STRUCTURE OF
MITOCHONDRION
- Key to the process of Krebs cycle and Electron transport chain

 outer membrane contains proteins known as

porins, which allow movement of ions into
and out of the mitochondrion.
 Matrix is the area inside the inner
membrane, which contains proteins, cytosol
and mitochondrial DNA

 The inner membrane contains enzymes

essential for cell respiration.

 cristae, which are folded section of the inner

membrane, increase the surface area
available for energy production via oxidative
phosphorylation
KREBS CYCLE / CITRIC ACID
CYCLE
- is the second stage
- is a cyclical series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions
- takes place in the matrix of mitochondria and requires pyruvate
the product of glycolysis
Steps involved:
Step1. Acetyl-CoA combines with
four-carbon compound
(oxaloacetate) to form citric acid,
which has six carbon atoms.
Step 2. Series of reactions that
release energy goes after the six-
carbon acids formed. This release
energy is captured in molecules of
NADH, ATP, and FAD𝐻2, another
energy carrying compound.
Step 3. The four carbon molecule
regenerates, this molecule is
needed for the next turn of the
cycle. Two turns are required
because glycolysis produces two
pyruvate molecules when it splits
glucose.
ELECTRON TRANSPORT
CHAIN - is the final stage of aerobic respiration

IMPORTANT POINTS:
The ETC is a collection of molecules embedded in the cristae membrane of the
mitochondrion.
There are thousands of copies of the ETC in every mitochondrion due to the extensive
folding of cristae membrane.
The ETC carries electrons delivered by NAD and FAD from glycolysis and the Krebs cycle
to oxygen, the final electron acceptor, through a series of redox reactions. In a redox
reaction, one atom gains electrons or protons (reduction), and one atom loses
electrons (oxidation).
The highly electronegative oxygen acts to pull electrons through the ETC.
NAD delivers its electrons to a higher energy level in the chain than does FAD. As a
result, NAD will provide more energy for ATP synthesis than does FAD. Each NAD
produces 3 ATP molecules, while each FAD produces 2 ATP molecules.
end