Lesson Overview

Lesson Overview Cellular Respiration: An Overview

Lesson Overview

9.1 Cellular Respiration:

An Overview


Chemical Energy and Food

Food provides living things with the chemical building blocks they need to grow and reproduce.

Food molecules contain chemical energy that is released when its chemical bonds are broken .


Chemical Energy and Food

Energy stored in food is expressed in units of calories.

A Calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. 1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie , or

Calorie .

Cells use all sorts of molecules for food, including fats, proteins, and carbohydrates . The energy stored in each of these molecules varies because their chemical structures, and therefore their energy-storing bonds, differ.

Cells break down food molecules gradually and use the energy stored in the chemical bonds to produce compounds such as ATP that power the activities of the cell.


Overview of Cellular Respiration

If oxygen is available, organisms can obtain energy from food by a process called cellular respiration. The summary of cellular respiration is presented below.

In symbols:

6 O

2

+ C

6

H

12

O

6

 6 CO

2

+ 6 H

2

O + Energy

In words:

Oxygen + Glucose  Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy

The cell has to release the chemical energy in food molecules (like glucose) gradually, otherwise most of the energy would be lost in the form of heat and light .


Stages of Cellular Respiration

The three main stages of cellular respiration are:

• glycolysis

• the Krebs cycle

• the electron transport chain



Glycolysis produces only a small amount of energy . Most of glucose ’s energy (90%) remains locked in the chemical bonds of pyruvic acid at the end of glycolysis.



During the Krebs cycle, a little more energy is generated from pyruvic acid .



The electron transport chain produces the bulk of the energy in cellular respiration by using oxygen, a powerful electron acceptor.


Oxygen and Energy

Pathways of cellular respiration that require oxygen are called aerobic. The Krebs cycle and electron transport chain are both aerobic processes. Both processes take place inside the mitochondria .


Oxygen and Energy

Gylcolysis is an anaerobic process. It does not directly require oxygen , nor does it rely on an oxygenrequiring process to run. However, it is still considered part of cellular respiration. Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of a cell.


Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are opposite processes .

The energy flows in opposite directions. Photosynthesis “ deposits ” energy, and cellular respiration

“ withdraws ” energy.

The reactants of cellular respiration are the products of photosynthesis and vice versa.


Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

The release of energy by cellular respiration takes place in plants, animals, fungi, protists, and most bacteria.

Energy capture by photosynthesis occurs only in plants, algae, and some bacteria.


Lesson Overview

9.2 The Process of

Cellular Respiration


Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration.

During glycolysis, glucose is broken down into 2 molecules of the 3-carbon molecule pyruvic acid .

Pyruvic acid is a reactant in the

Krebs cycle .

ATP and NADH are produced as part of the process.


ATP Production

The cell uses 2 ATP molecules into its “ account ” to get glycolysis going.

Glycolysis then produces 4

ATP molecules , giving the cell a net gain of 2 ATP molecules for each molecule of glucose that enters glycolysis.


NADH Production

During glycolysis, the electron carrier NAD + accepts a pair of high-energy electrons and becomes NADH .

NADH carries the high-energy electrons to the electron transport chain , where they can be used to produce more ATP.

2 NADH molecules are produced for every molecule of glucose that enters glycolysis.


The Advantages of Glycolysis

Glycolysis produces ATP very fast , which is an advantage when the energy demands of the cell suddenly increase.

Glycolysis does not require oxygen , so it can quickly supply energy to cells when oxygen is unavailable.


The Krebs Cycle

During the Krebs cycle , the second stage of cellular respiration, pyruvic acid produced in glycolysis is broken down into carbon dioxide in a series of energy-extracting reactions.

The Krebs cycle is also known as the citric acid cycle because citric acid is the first compound formed in this series of reactions.


Citric Acid Production

Pyruvic acid from glycolysis enters the matrix , the innermost compartment of the mitochondrion.



Once pyruvic acid is in the mitochondrial matrix, NAD + accepts 2 high-energy electrons to form NADH . One molecule of produced .

CO

2 is also

The remaining 2 carbon atoms react to form acetyl-CoA .



Acetyl-CoA combines with a 4-carbon molecule to produce citric acid.


Energy Extraction

Citric acid is broken down into a 5-carbon compound and then a 4-carbon compound.

Two molecules of CO

2 released. are

The 4-carbon compound can then start the cycle again by combining with acetyl-CoA.



Energy released by the breaking and rearranging of carbon bonds is captured in the forms of ATP, NADH, and

FADH

2

.



For each turn of the cycle, one ADP molecule is converted into ATP.

ATP can directly power the cell ’ s activities.



The electron carriers NAD + and FAD each accept pairs of high-energy electrons to form

NADH and FADH

2

.

NADH and FADH

2 are used in the electron transport chain to generate ATP.



Remember! Each molecule of glucose results in 2 molecules of pyruvic acid, which enter the

Krebs cycle. So each molecule of glucose results in two complete “ turns ” of the

Krebs cycle.

Therefore, for each glucose molecule , 6 CO

2 molecules,

ATP molecules, 8 NADH

2 molecules, and 2 FADH

2 molecules are produced.


Electron Transport

NADH and FADH

2 pass their high-energy electrons to electron carrier proteins in the electron transport chain.



At the end of the electron transport chain, the electrons combine with

H + ions and oxygen to form water.



Energy generated by the electron transport chain is used to move

H+ ions against a concentration gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane and into the intermembrane space.


ATP Production

H+ ions pass back across the mitochondrial membrane through the ATP synthase , causing the ATP synthase molecule to spin. With each rotation, the ATP synthase attaches a phosphate to ADP to produce ATP .


Energy Totals

In the presence of oxygen, the complete breakdown of glucose through cellular respiration results in the production of 36 ATP molecules .

This represents about 36 percent of the total energy of glucose.

The remaining 64 percent is released as heat.


Energy Totals

The cell can generate ATP from just about any source, even though we ’ve modeled it using only glucose.

Complex carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars like glucose.

Lipids and proteins can be broken down into molecules that enter the

Krebs cycle or glycolysis at one of several places.


Lesson Overview

9.3 Fermentation


Fermentation

Fermentation is a process by which energy can be released from food molecules in the absence of oxygen .

Fermentation occurs in the cytoplasm of cells.


Fermentation

Under anaerobic conditions, fermentation follows glycolysis .

During fermentation, cells convert NADH produced by glycolysis back into the electron carrier NAD + , which allows glycolysis to continue producing ATP.


Alcoholic Fermentation

Yeast and a few other microorganisms use alcoholic fermentation that produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide .

This process is used to produce alcoholic beverages and causes bread dough to rise.


Alcoholic Fermentation

Chemical equation:

Pyruvic acid + NADH  Alcohol + CO

2

+ NAD +


Lactic Acid Fermentation

Most organisms, including humans, carry out fermentation using a chemical reaction that converts pyruvic acid to lactic acid .

Chemical equation:

Pyruvic acid + NADH  Lactic acid + NAD +


Energy and Exercise

How does the body produce ATP during different stages of exercise?

For short, quick bursts of energy, the body uses ATP already in muscles as well as ATP made by lactic acid fermentation.

For exercise longer than about 90 seconds, cellular respiration is the only way to continue generating a supply of ATP.


Quick Energy

Cells normally contain small amounts of ATP produced during cellular respiration, enough for a few seconds of intense activity.

Lactic acid fermentation can supply enough ATP to last about 90 seconds.

However, extra oxygen is required to get rid of the lactic acid produced.

Following intense exercise , a person will huff and puff for several minutes in order to pay back the built-up “ oxygen debt ” and clear the lactic acid from the body.


Long-Term Energy

For intense exercise lasting longer than 90 seconds, cellular respiration is required to continue production of ATP.

Cellular respiration releases energy more slowly than fermentation does.

The body stores energy in the form of the carbohydrate glycogen .

These glycogen stores are enough to last for 15 to 20 minutes of activity .

After that, the body begins to break down other stored molecules, including fats, for energy.


Long-Term Energy

Hibernating animals , such as a brown bear, rely on stored fat for energy when they sleep through the winter.

Lesson Overview

9.1 Cellular Respiration:

An Overview

Chemical Energy and Food

Overview of Cellular Respiration

Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

9.2 The Process of

Cellular Respiration

Glycolysis

The Krebs Cycle

Energy Totals

Energy Totals

9.3 Fermentation

Fermentation

Fermentation

Energy and Exercise

Related documents

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Support

Lesson Overview

9.1 Cellular Respiration:

An Overview

Chemical Energy and Food

Overview of Cellular Respiration

Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

Comparing Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration

9.2 The Process of

Cellular Respiration

Glycolysis

The Krebs Cycle

Energy Totals

Energy Totals

9.3 Fermentation

Fermentation

Fermentation

Energy and Exercise

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