Cellular Respiration

Cellular Respiration the process by which the chemical energy of food molecules is
released and partially captured for the production of ATP.
There are two types of respiration: aerobic and anaerobic.
Cellular respiration is a cumulative function of three metabolic stages: glycilysis,
citric acid cycle, and oxidative phophorylation.

Glycolysis: Oxidizing Glucose to Pyruvate

Glycolysis occurs in the cytosol(outside the mitochondria) and is the first stage in
cellular respiration. This stage breaks glucose, a six carbon sugar, which is split into
three carbon sugars. These three carbon sugars are then oxidized, and their
remaining atoms are rearranged to form molecules of a three carbon sugar known as
pyruvate. Pyruvate, which is the product of glycolysis is the ionized form of a three-
carbon acid, pyruvic acid. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell. In glycolysis,
two molecules of pyruvic acid and two high energy carrying molecules of NADH are
produced. At the same tim, reduction of two NAD+(nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide) occurs, turning NAD+ into two molecules of NADH.

Citric acid cycle and pyruvate oxidation

After pyruvate is oxidized, it is transported into the mitochondrion(plural:
mitochondria). The citric acid cycle takes place in the mitochondrion. As pyruvate
enters, it experiences grooming where in carbon dioxide is given off as a crbonyl
group is removed. The three carbon molecules that enters is turned into a two-
carbon compound. Acetyl CoA, a coenzyme, joins the two carbon molecule
compound as it enters the cycle.
The citric acid cycle is also known as the Krebs cycle after Hans Kreb(1900-1981), a
German born British scientist. During the process, the two carbon molecule,
together with acetyl CoA, joins a four carbon compound, resulting in the formation
of citrate. Two molecules of carbon dioxide which are relaesed as citrate is degraded
into a four carbon compound. In this stage, pyruvates yield 2 ATP, 6 NADH, and 2
FADH2(flavin adenine dinucleotide), after two turns of the cycle in one glucose
molecule. This stage also supplies oxidative phosphorylation with enough electrons.

Oxidative Phosphorylation is the process wherein ATP is formed due to the transfer
of electrons from NADH or FADH2 to 02 by a chain of electron carriers. The electrons
come from the first two stages, usually from NADH, and passed from one electron
acceptor to another in an electron transport chain. This stage uses electron trasport
and chemiosmosis, which require a specific supply of oxygen. At the end of the
electron transport chain, the electrons are combined with hydrogen ions and
molecular oxygen to form water . The energy released at each step of the chain is
stored in a form the mitochondrion can use to make ATP. This form of ATP
production is called oxidative phosphorylation.

Anaerobic Respiration
One type of energy production is fermentation. Fermentation is an example of
anaerobic respiration which produces ATP without the process of oxygen, as
opposed to aerobic respiration which requires oxygen. In this process, fermentation
produces two ATP molecules in every glucose molecule. It is then reduced into NAD+
to NADH. Remarkably, fermentation provides another pathway which help the cell to
recycle NADH to NAD+. Bacteria and muscle cells are able to oxidize NADH to NAD+
and reduced pyruvic acid into lactate through lactic acid fermentation.

Lactic acid fermentation is an important process in making cheese and yogurt. Soy
sauce and sauerkraut are products of microbial fermentation. Alcohol fermentation
is used in wine wine and baking.
Anaerobic respiration can be either obligate or facultative. Yeast and most bacteria
can make ATP through oxidative phosphorylation or fermentation and called as
facultative anaerobes. Organisms that live in stagnant ponds and soils are known as
obligate anerobes. Obligate anerobes die when oxygen is present and thus live in
deep soil or in ponds where there is no oxygen.