Recall:

Glycolysis is the process in which one glucose molecule is broken down to form two molecules of
pyruvic acid (also called pyruvate)

(Investment and Pay-off Phase)

Products:

2 net gain ATP molecules

2 NADH molecules (Step 6 G3P – 1, 3 -biphosphoglycerate)
2 Pyruvate molecules

Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through
the oxidization of acetate—derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins —into carbon dioxide.

Products:

4 CO2 molecules
6 NADH molecules
2 FADH2 molecules
2 GTP molecules

Total number of molecules that will undergo Electron Transport Chain

10 NADH molecules
2 FADH2 molecules

Note: 2 NADH molecules are produced in transition reaction of Pyruvate to Acetyl CoA

Electron Transport Chain

You have just read about two pathways in cellular respiration—glycolysis and the citric acid cycle—that
generate ATP. However, most of the ATP generated during the aerobic catabolism of glucose is not
generated directly from these pathways. Rather, it is derived from a process that begins with moving
electrons through a series of electron transporters that undergo redox reactions

- last component of aerobic respiration and is the only part of glucose metabolism that uses
atmospheric oxygen.
- Electrons are passed rapidly from one component to the next to the endpoint of the chain,
where the electrons reduce molecular oxygen, producing water.
- electron transport chain is an aggregation of four of these complexes (labeled I through IV),
together with associated mobile electron carriers.
- series of electron transporters embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane that shuttles
electrons from NADH and FADH2 to molecular oxygen
- In the process, protons are pumped from the mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space,
and oxygen is reduced to form water
- the endpoint of the chain where the electrons reduce molecular oxygen, producing water
- Note, however, that the electron transport chain of prokaryotes may not require oxygen as
some live-in anaerobic conditions. The common feature of all electron transport chains is the
presence of a proton pump to create a proton gradient across a membrane.
- electron transport chain takes the energy from the electrons on NADH and FADH2 to pump
protons (H+) into the intermembrane space
- creates a proton gradient between the intermembrane space (high) and the matrix (low) of the
mitochondria
- Oxygen is required for this process because it serves as the final electron acceptor, forming
water
- These membrane-associated electron carriers include flavoproteins, iron-sulfur proteins,
quinones, and cytochromes. The last electron carrier in the electron transport chain transfers
the electrons to the terminal electron acceptor, oxygen
Complex I

- composed of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and an iron-sulfur (Fe-S)-containing protein

- one of several prosthetic groups or co-factors in the electron transport chain
- prosthetic group is a non-protein molecule required for the activity of a protein. Prosthetic
groups are organic or inorganic, non-peptide molecules bound to a protein that facilitate its
function
- electrons are passed from NADH to the electron transport chain, where they flow through the
remaining complexes
- NADH is oxidized to NAD in this process
- NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone)
- electron acceptor from NADH in the electron transport chain and the largest complex found in it
- four protons are pumped across the inner membrane into the intermembrane space and
electrons move from NADH to coenzyme Q

Complex II

- also called succinate dehydrogenase

- membrane bound enzyme of the citric acid cycle that plays a role in the electron transport
process, transferring electrons from its covalently bound FADH2 to coenzyme Q
- directly receives FADH2, which does not pass-through complex I
- does not pump protons because of insufficient energy

Coenzyme Q

- is a 1,4 benzoquinone whose name is often given as Coenzyme Q10, CoQ, or Q10
- 10 in the name refers to the number of isoprenyl units it contains
 - vitamin-like lipid substance found in most eukaryotic cells as a component of the electron
transport system
- Ubiquinone delivers its electrons to the next complex in the electron transport chain
- Q receives the electrons derived from NADH from complex I and the electrons derived from
FADH2 from complex II
-  fewer ATP molecules are made from the FADH2 electrons

Complex III

- third electron accepting complex of the electron transport system

- It accepts electrons from coenzyme Q in electron transport and passes them off to cytochrome c
- cytochrome oxidoreductase
- Cytochrome proteins have a prosthetic group of heme
- heme molecule is like the heme in hemoglobin, but it carries electrons, not oxygen
- Complex III pumps’ protons through the membrane and passes its electrons to cytochrome c for
transport to the fourth complex of proteins and enzymes

Cytochrome C

- used to carry a single electron from Complex III to Complex IV

- cytochrome c is the acceptor of electrons from Q; however, whereas Q carries pairs of electrons,
cytochrome c can accept only one at a time

Complex IV

- composed of cytochrome proteins c, a, and a3

- cytochromes hold an oxygen molecule very tightly between the iron and copper ions until the
oxygen is completely reduced
- reduced oxygen then picks up two hydrogen ions from the surrounding medium to make water
(H2O)

Chemiosmosis

- reduced oxygen then picks up two hydrogen ions from the surrounding medium to make water
(H2O)
-  ions would tend to diffuse back across into the matrix, driven by their electrochemical gradient
- many ions cannot diffuse through the nonpolar regions of phospholipid membranes without the
aid of ion channels
- hydrogen ions in the matrix space can only pass through the inner mitochondrial membrane
through an integral membrane protein called ATP synthase

ATP Synthase

- protein complex harvesting energy from the proton gradient and using it to make ATP from ADP
- allows protons to re-enter the mitochondrial matrix and harvests their energy to make ATP
-  acts as a tiny generator, turned by the force of the hydrogen ions diffusing through it, down
their electrochemical gradient
-  turning of parts of this molecular machine facilitates the addition of a phosphate to ADP,
forming ATP, using the potential energy of the hydrogen ion gradient
Oxidative Phosphorylation

- phosphorylation of ADP to ATP is dependent on the oxidative reactions occurring in the

mitochondria
- metabolic pathway in which electrons are transferred from electron donors to electron
acceptors in redox reactions; this series of reactions releases energy which is used to form ATP

Products of Oxidative Phosphorylation

NADH = 2.5 ATPs

FADH2 = 1.5 ATPs

Note: From glycolysis to kreb’s cycle, 10 NADH & 2 FADH 2 were produced

10 NADH × 2.5 = 25 ATPs

2 FADH2 × 1.5 = 3 ATPs

Total = 28 ATPs

Products of Cellular Respiration

Glycolysis = 2 ATPs

Kreb’s Cycle = 2 ATPs

Oxidative Phosphorylation = 28 ATPs

Total = 32 ATPs

Questions:

Which of the four protein complexes involved in moving electrons from NADH?

a. Complex IV
b. Complex III
c. Complex II
d. Complex I

It accepts the electrons from both complex I and II, then delivers them to complex III

a. Coenzyme Q10
b. Cytochrome C
c. Cytochrome A
d. Cytochrome B

Which of the following is true regarding chemiosmosis?

a. The energy from a proton gradient is used to make ATP

b. Chemiosmosis regenerates electron carriers like NADH and FADH2
c. ATP synthesis creates a proton gradient that causes electron flow through an electron transport
chain (ETC)
d. A temperature gradient drives ATP synthesis

(The proton gradient created during the electron transport chain (ETC) is then used for chemiosmosis.
As H+ ions flow down their gradient, they pass through an enzyme called ATP synthase, which uses the
flow of protons to make ATP)

Arrange the following steps of oxidative phosphorylation from beginning (top) to end (bottom)

1. Electrons are transferred to oxygen, causing it to split and take up H+ ions, which forms water
2. Electrons are transferred to molecules in the beginning of the electron transport chain
3. H+ ions flow down the gradient to generate ATP
4. H+ ions are pumped across the mitochondrial membrane to establish an electrochemical
gradient

Answer: 2,4,1,3

How many ATPs NADH can produce?

a. 1.5
b. 2.5
c. 3
d. 3.5

Classify each statement as a property of electron transport chain (ETC) or chemiosmosis

Answer:

References:

Kaiser, G. 4 January 2021. Electron Transport Chain and Chemiosmosis. Retrieved from
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Book
%3A_Microbiology_(Kaiser)/Unit_7%3A_Microbial_Genetics_and_Microbial_Metabolism/18%3A_Micro
bial_Metabolism/18.3%3A_Aerobic_Respiration/18.3D
%3A_Electron_Transport_Chain_and_Chemisomosis

Khan Academy. (n.d.). Oxidative phosphorylation and the ETC. Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/in-in-class-11-biology-india/x9d1157914247c627:respiration-in-
plants/x9d1157914247c627:electron-transport-system-and-oxidative-phosphorylation/e/oxidative-
phosphorylation-and-the-etc
Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Electron Transport Chain. Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology1/chapter/reading-electron-transport-chain/