BIOENERGETICS

 Bioenergetics – study of the energetics and kinetics of life from the living cell to the
 biosphere.
 Energy changes are governed by laws of thermodynamics.

 LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS
 Law of Conservation of Energy – energy can be neither created nor destroyed. It can
only be redistributed or changed in form.
 Law of Entropy – any system, no matter how highly organized tends to move to a state of
greater disorder in order to attain stability.

 The stability of a system depends on two factors: enthalpy and entropy

 Enthalpy (H) represents chemical energy or heat content of a chemical system at constant
temp. and pressure.

 Entropy (S) – refers to the degree of disorder or randomness of a system.

 BIOENERGETICS
 The second factor which is entropy (S) denotes the measure of relative
 disorder.
 The more ordered the system, the lower its entropy and the more
 disordered it is, the greater its entropy.

 Enthalpy and entropy combined gives us Gibbs Free Energy.

 Exothermic - heat is evolved or given off; - ∆ H (change in H) is negative.

An energy
 yielding reaction
 Endothermic – energy requiring reaction; + ∆ H (change in H) is positive.
 BIOENERGETICS

 Remember:

 A process that goes “spontaneously” has a negative change in free energy

 ( -∆G )
 ∆G is negative (∆G < 0) the reaction is called exergonic. The reaction will
 proceed to the right spontaneously.
 ∆G is positive (∆G > 0) the reaction is called endergonic. It will not
proceed to the right spontaneously.
Showed that Respiration Was Oxidation of
Carbon and Hydrogen…thus began
Thermodynamics
Laws of Thermodynamics
First Law – for any change, the energy of the universe remains constant;
energy may change form or it may be transported, but can not be created
or destroyed.
Second Law – The Entropy Law can be stated 3 ways:
1. Systems tend from ordered to disordered.
2. Entropy can remain the same for reversible processes but
increases from irreversible processes.
3. All processes tend towards equilibrium.
Everything ➔ Equilibrium = Death.
Third Law – Entropy goes to zero when ordered substances approach
absolute zero = 0oK
Thermodynamics
Gibbs Free Energy G and ΔG

Enthalpy H and ΔH

Entropy S and ΔS

ΔG = ΔH - TΔS
 Biochemistry Uses ΔGo’ Not ΔGo
Standard Conditions (all reactants and products at 1M, gases at 1 atm, Temp =
25C) are Not Biological Conditions

So, ΔGo’ takes out water (55.5M), and [H+] is set at pH 7 (not 1M which would be
pH=0)
and for humans ΔGo’ uses 37oC (310 K), but for bacteria ΔGo’ uses 25oC
(298 K)….or the temperature of the environment.

ΔGo’ = - RT ln Keq
 ΔGo’s Are Additive

 ΔGo’s Are Additive

 Hexokinase Rxn: Glucose + ATP ➔ Glucose-6-P + ADP

 Glucose + Pi ➔ Glucose-P + H2O ΔGo’ = 13.8 kJ/mole

 ATP + H2O ➔ ADP + Pi ΔGo’ = -30.5 kJ/mole

 Overall = ΔGo’ = -16.7 kJ/mole

 Exergonic ! So:

 .
 Above exemplifies an exergonic reaction. The value of ΔGo’ is negative.
 Coupling of Reactions:

 Consider this endergonic reaction:

 Creatine + Pi --------→ Creatine-PO4 + H2O
 ΔGo’ = 7.0 kcal
To make the above reaction occur spontaneously, it should be coupled.
Coupling the reaction above will make it exergonic as shown below:
Cr + Pi -----------→ Cr-PO4 + H2O ΔGo’ = + 7.0 kcal
ATP + H2O ------→ ADP + Pi ΔGo’ = - 7.3 kcal
Net reaction:
Cr + ATP -------→ CrPO4 + ADP ΔGo’ = - 0.3 kcal
ATP Hydrolysis
Significance of ATP Hydrolysis
 Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) exemplifies a high energy compound. It is the
most important among all the high energy compounds.

 ATP consists of three parts: a nitrogen ring compound known as adenosine,

 the five carbon sugar, ribose and three phosphate groups.

 A simplified mechanical analogue for ATP may be written as follows:

 A ------------ P1 -------P2-------P3

 If one or both of the two end phosphate bonds are removed by reaction with water
(hydrolysis), a large release of free energy occurs.
 A ------ P1 -----P2------P3 + H2O -----→ A----P1----P2+ H3PO4 ΔGo’ = -7,300 cal
 A ------ P1 -----P2 + H2O --------→ A -----P1 + H3PO4 ΔGo’ = -7,300 cal
A ------P1 + H2O --------- A + H3PO4 ΔGo’ = -3,300 cal
 Significance of ATP Hydrolysis

 ATP is the primary means of storing chemical energy in the cell. By the
release of this energy in small amounts, waste is reduced and the cellular
process is more efficient.