Question

tell us something unique about yourself. Most likely, your 'unique' trait requires ENERGY. How do you think this is related to metabolic processes such as the Citric Acid cycle and Electron Transport chain?

Answer 1

Unique trait: fast runner.

• Running is a form of physical exercise, which require which requires energy.
• During exercise, body needs extra energy.
• For muscle contraction for about 4-6 seconds, muscle stores ATP, which is used.
• But for further ATP supply metabolic pathways, both aerobic and anaerobic, are used.
• Cellular respiration involves metabolic activity of metabolite (glucose), by its oxidation process, during which, energy is spontaneously released.

Three steps of cellular respiration are:

1. Glycolysis-

• During glycolysis, from each molecule of glucose- 2 molecules of pyruvic acids are produced.
• Two molecules of pyruvic acids undergo oxidation in aerobic pathway to form two molecules of Acetyl co A.
• Thus, from 6 molecules of glucose 2 x 6 = 12 molecules of Acetyl co A will be produced.

2. Krebs cycle

• Krebs cycle is also called citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle. It includes step wise cyclic process, in which pyruvate (from glycolysis), is oxidised to ultimately form water and carbon dioxide. The products formed during the cycle, include CO2, electron carriers- NADH and FADH2, which are used to generate ATP.

3. Electron transport chain:

• Electrons are transported across various components of electron transport chain (ETC), resulting in series of oxidation-reduction reactions. NADH and FADH2 are electron donors, their oxidation creates high concentration energy from electrons. This energy is used to pump proton from matrix to inter membrane space. Flow of protons creates and electrochemical gradient, which is used to generate ATP.