GENERAL BIOLOGY 1

CELLULAR RESPIRATION
 Learning Objectives
To discover how prokaryotic and
eukaryotic organisms (except plants)
make use of cellular respiration to
produce energy
To trace the steps and identify the
end products involved in the various
phases of cellular respiration
 To identify the parts of the cells
involved in the various phases of
cellular respiration
What Is Cellular Respiration?
Cellular Respiration is a catabolic process
in which digested glucose from food
nutrients is broken down into adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) with or without the
presence of oxygen for use as energy by
prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms
(except plants).
Scientific Equation for Cellul
ar Respiration
Key Concepts of Cellular Res
piration
Before the cells can use them, the food that
organisms eat must first be broken down into
the basic units of nutrients: glucose, amino
acids, or lipids which the mitochondria of the
cell will convert to ATP. The ATP functions as
a coenzyme in the cell transporting chemical
energy to maintain metabolic activities.
 The previous lessons taught you that the
mitochondria is the cells powerhouse. This is
because its main function is to convert the
potential energy from food into ATP fuel for
energy and metabolism.
 The mitochondria contains f
ive protein carriers: NADH
dehydrogenase, succinate d
ehydrogenase, cytochrome
c reductase, cytochrome c
oxidase, and ATP synthase.

Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Animal_mitochondrion_diagram_en_(edit).svg

 Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm with or wit
hout oxygen. Here, the six carbon glucose (C6
H12O6) will be broken down into two molecules
of 3-carbon sugars: glyceraldehydes phosphate
(GAP), and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP
).
 GAP is also known as phosphoglyceraldehyde (
PGAL) which the cells can readily use as ATP. T
he DHAP will be turned into PGAL by the enzym
e isomerase; so now we have two molecules of
PGAL that would further be converted into two
molecules of pyruvic acid.
 GAP is also known as phosphoglyceraldehyde (
PGAL) which the cells can readily use as ATP. T
he DHAP will be turned into PGAL by the enzym
e isomerase; so now we have two molecules of
PGAL that would further be converted into two
molecules of pyruvic acid.
 When the process of glyc
olysis ends, there will be f
our molecules of ATP and
two molecules of nicotina
mide adenine dinucleotide
phosphate hydrogen (NA
DH) but since two ATPs w
ere used at the beginning
Image credit: http://medical-
dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/_/viewer.aspx?path=MosbyMD&name=glycolysis.jpg&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fmedical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com%2FAnaerobic%2Bmetabolism , the net gain is two.
 Even in the absence of oxygen, glycolysis alrea
dy produced small amounts of ATP for the cell.
At this point, there would be two choices to un
dergo: (a) alcohol fermentation, which conv
erts pyruvic acid to alcohol; or (b) acid ferme
ntation, which converts pyruvic acid to lactic a
cid.
 When oxygen is involved in the oxidation of pyr
uvic acid, the process is called aerobic respira
tion, which starts when the two molecules of p
yruvic acid from glycolysis enters the mitochon
dria from which a carbon atom would be remov
ed from it. When this carbon atom combines wi
th two atoms of oxygen, it will be released as c
arbon dioxide gas.
 Next, two electrons and two hydrogen ions shal
l be freed into the matrix of the mitochondria fr
om which they shall be picked up by the electro
n carrier NAD+ (oxidized nicotinamide adenine
nucleotide) to form the higher energy form NA
DH. Also, Coenzyme A will attach to the remain
ing 2-carbon unit acetyl to become acetyl Coen
zyme A (acetyl Co-A).
 From the two molecules of pyr
uvic acid from glucose that en
tered oxidation, the final outp
uts for this phase consist of t
wo molecules of acetyl Co-A,
two molecules of carbon dioxi
de, and two molecules of NAD
Image credit:
http://notes.komputerwiz.net:8000/w/images/thumb/5/5a/BIOL_111_Figure_9.10.png/2
H.
50px-BIOL_111_Figure_9.10.png
 The next stage, Krebs Cycle, begins in the ma
trix of the mitochondria when acetyl Co-A from
the previous phase interacts with the 4-carbon
compound (oxaloacetic acid) to form the 6-carb
on compound, citric acid.
 In stage 2 of this cycle, citric acid loses two elect
rons and two hydrogen atoms to become the 5-c
arbon compound, alpha ketoglutaric acid. One
molecule of carbon dioxide is also released while
two electrons and one hydrogen ion are picked u
p by NAD+ to become NADH.
 Next, alpha ketoglutaric acid releases CO2, lose
s two electrons and two hydrogen ions to beco
me the 4-carbon succinic acid. Again, NAD+ pick
s up two electrons and one hydrogen ion and is
reduced to NADH. This is now equivalent to one
ATP.
 When the positions of atoms are altered, succi
nic acid will be converted to fumaric acid in a p
rocess that releases two electrons and two hyd
rogen ions. This will be converted to FADH2 o
nce the electron carrier flavin adenine dinucleo
tide picks them up. Then fumaric acid will be
converted to malic acid.
 Krebs Cycles final step involves rearrangement
of atoms of the malic acid to turn it into oxaloa
cetic acid wherein two electrons and two hydro
gen ions are released and again to be picked u
p by NAD+. Since this process started with two
molecules of acetyl Co-A from one glucose mol
ecule, there are two rounds of the Krebs Cycle
which equals 2 ATPs, 8 NADHs, and 2FADH2s
per glucose molecule.
 From all these steps, the series of electron trans
port carrier conversions is consistent. In the cri
stae of the mitochondria, the enzyme ATP synth
ase adds phosphate to ADP to become ATP. A p
air of NADH electrons equals three ATP molecul
es while a pair of FADH2 electrons only yield tw
o ATP molecules.
Summary Diagrams of Glycol
ysis & Krebs Cycle

Image credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/CellRespiration.svg/2000px-CellRespiration.svg.png

 Breakdown of Foods into ATP

Foods rich in carbohydrates and starches are auto

matically converted into glucose.

But what about the proteins and fats people and

animals eat how will they be processed by the c
ells?
a. Proteins are converted first to amino acids. Then
they either become pyruvic acid, acetyl Co-A, ox
aloacetic acid, alpha ketoglutaric acid, or succinic
acid. These forms are already easily convertible f
or the cells to use them as ATP.
b. Fats, which are lipids, are first converted into gly
cerol and fatty acid. Glycerol will next be broken
down into dihydrogen acetone phosphate and P
GAL after which it becomes part of glycolysis. Fa
tty acid, on the other hand, turns into the 2-carb
on compound with co-enzyme A, the acetyl Co-A
, a usable form for the Krebs Cycle.
 Functions of Cellular Respira
tion
Source of energy
To move cilia and vesicles
To transport substances across membranes
To perform various chemical reactions or metab
olism
 Activity
In the health and fitness world, cardio aerobics is
considered aerobic respiration while muscle strength
training is Krebs cycle/glycolysis. There is much debate on
which of the two is more effective for losing weight. There
are also those who advise alternate scheduling like HIIT
and circuit training.

Research about this topic. Then make a 500-word

reaction paper. Better if you are a health buff
yourself as you can share your own experiences
and integrate first-hand examples.