Question

in one paragraph, discribe how the human body and/or its processes act like an electrolytic cell and voltaic cell. Include at least one chemical equation.

Answer 1

Human body and its various Oxidation-reduction reactions vital for biochemical processes act as an electrolytic cell and voltaic cell. The nervous system and the oxidation of glucose in the human body present excellent examples of combination of electrical and chemical processes for the conversion of electrical energy into other forms. To be specific, let us conceptualize the matrix and intermembraneous space of mitochondria as two half-cells of a galvanic cell. Herein, the oxidation of NADH or FADH2 by O2 is facilitated by the positive cell potential of this cell. Protons are pumped from the matrix into the intermembraneous space.

The energy is expended by this reaction for creating a gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane involving differences in H+ concentration. Finally the free energy provided by the H+ concentration gradient is ultimately used to carry out ATP generation.