Module 4: Cellular Respiration

Module 4

Cellular Respiration
At the end of this lesson, the students shall be able to:
1. Trace the pathway of cellular respiration;
2. Describe the steps that take place and the major events during glycolysis;
3. Explain the importance of Kreb Cycle; and,
4. Compute for the total number of ATPs produced during cellular respiration.

Cells trap and release chemical bonds step by step in a series of chemical reactions called cellular
respiration. The metabolic breaking down of food is mostly facilitated in an energy-releasing or
exergonic process called catabolism. Most of the energy released by this process is stored in the form of
energy-rich compound called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its other intermediates. This
continuous breakdown replenishes the energy that cells constantly use.

Cellular respiration can be summed up in the equation below.

glucose oxygen carbon dioxide water energy

C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ( ATP + heat)

The raw materials for cellular respiration are glucose and oxygen. While plants get their own supply of
glucose, animals and other organisms that are not capable of Photosynthesis get their supply of glucose
from the food they eat. Oxygen that participates in cellular respiration comes from air.

Cellular respiration may occur in the presence or absence of oxygen. Oxygen is present in aerobic
respiration, but absent in anaerobic respiration.

The major stages of cellular respiration are glycolysis, Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle), and the processes
that take place in the electron transport chain.

Glycolysis
Glycolysis is the process wherein the six-carbon sugar, glucose is broken down into two molecules of
pyruvate or pyruvic acid. The process also yields two ATPs for each glucose that enters glycolysis.

Gycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell. It proceeds even in the absence of oxygen. Following
are the detailed steps in glycolysis:

1. Glucose is phosphorylated using two ATP molecules. Phosphorylation is the process of adding a
phosphate group to a molecule.

2. After the phosphorylation of glucose, it is converted into two 3-carbon molecule called PGAL
(phosphoglyceraldehyde) as an intermediate compound.

3. A phosphate group is added to each PGAL molecule and hydrogen atoms are transferred to
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) forming two molecules of NADH.

4. The phosphate bonds of PGAL are broken forming two molecules of ATP from each molecule of
PGAL and converting them to 2 molecules of pyruvic acid.

If oxygen is present, the process of glycolysis can proceed to aerobic respiration. Before the start of
aerobic respiration, the pyruvic acid formed in the cytoplasm must move across the mitochondrion’s

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double membrane and into the matrix. It is the matrix where the first and second aerobic steps will
proceed due to the presence of water, enzymes, and phosphates. The third step will occur in the inner
membrane itself.

Pyruvic acid is converted to an intermediate molecule called acetyl-Coenzyme A (acetyl-coA). The three-
carbon pyruvic acid loses C02 and hydrogen ion, forming the 2-carbon acetyl group. Each acetyl group
combines with coenzyme A (coA) resulting in the formation of acetyl-coA molecules. These two
molecules will now enter the Krebs cycle to begin the aerobic phase of

Figure 1. Steps in Glycolysis

Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle)

In order to produce more energy, the process ofcellular respiration has to proceed to the Krebs cycle.
Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions that take place in the presence ofoxygen inside the matrix of
the mitochondrion. It is coupled with the release of carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions that result in the
production of ATP. The process was discovered by Hans Krebs, a German-British biochemist. Krebs cycle
is also popularly called the citric acid cycle due to its first intermediate product, citric acid. The following
steps take place in the Krebs cycle:

1. The 2-carbon acetyl group of acetyl COA combines with a 4-carbon oxaloacetic acid, releasing
COA and forming a six-carbon molecule called citric acid.

2. The citric acid molecule is broken down to a 5-carbon compound (ketoglutaric acid). NADH is
formed.

3. The 5-carbon compound (ketoglutaric acid) is broken down by an enzyme producing a four-
carbon compound called (succinic acid) forming NADH and ATP. The waste product of this
process is carbon dioxide.

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4. The four-carbon molecule is rearranged forming malic acid and high-energy electrons are
formed including the electron carriers NADH and FADH2 (flavine adenine dinucleotide).

5. The removal of hydrogen ion

from malic acid causes the
regeneration ofoxaloacetic acid,
and the cycle is completed.

Since there are two molecules of pyruvic

acid that will enter the Krebs cycle, the
cycle is exPected to turn "twice," thus, for
the two molecules a total of 6 NADH, 2
FADH2, and 2 ATPs are formed. The
process results in the release of 4
molecules of C02 as by-products. The
electrons in the electron carriers, NADH
and FADH are used to generate ATP
molecules in the processes that take
place in the electron transport chain.

Figure 2. Steps in Krebs Cycle

The Electron Transport Chain

Enzymes and ion carriers line the inner membrane of the mitochondria, where the electron transport
chain takes place. It is here where electron travel from carrier to carrier moving toward the lower
energy level of the final electron acceptor, which is oxygen. Thus, in the absence of oxygen, aerobic
respiration cannot take place.

The electron transport begins in the inner membrane of the mitochondrion where NADH donates two
electrons and a proton to the electron transport chain. These electrons are passed down from one
acceptor to another down an energy gradient until they reach oxygen, which is the final electron
acceptor. FADH2 also donates but it enters at a lower energy level of chain.

Chemiosmosis describes the movement of electrons down to their electron chemical gradient. Their
movement down the electron chain results in the build up of hydrogen ions. Due to a change in the
concentration gradient, the hydrogen ions flow back to the matrix. Hydrogen ions are pumped across
the membrane to the matrix by the enzyme, ATP synthase, which is also a protein channel. The flow of
the hydrogen ions through the ATP synthase results in the conversion of ADP to ATP.

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Figure 3. The electron transport chain

Table 1. Summary of ATPs produced in Cellular Respiration Pathways

Pathway Coenzyme Produced ATP produced
Glycolysis 4 ATP -2 ATP
Pyruvic acid oxidation -2 ATP
Krebs Cycle 2 ATP 2 ATP
Electron Transport Chain
(3 ATPs per NADH and 2 ATPs
per FADH2)
2 NADH from Glycolysis 6 ATP
2 NADH from pyruvic acid 6 ATP
oxidation
6 NADH from Krebs Cycle 18 ATP
2 FADH2 from Krebs Cycle 4 ATP
Gross ATP produced 40 ATP
ATP used -4 ATP
Net ATP produced 36 ATP

Activity:

Prepare three (3) pieces of long bond paper, DRAW the Glycolysis; on the other one, draw the Kreb
Cycle; and on the last one, draw the Electron Transport Chain Reaction and take a picture of your
drawings and send it to my g-mail.

Rubric for the said activity.

Needs
Excellent Good
Criteria Improvement Score
(10 pts) (7 pts)
(3 pts)
Completeness of The drawing The drawing lacks The drawing lacks
Content contains all the some information. many pieces of
required information.
information.
Accuracy The drawing The drawing lacks The drawing lacks
contains all key some key many key
concepts of each concepts of each concepts of each
pathways. pathways. pathways.
Organization The drawing is The drawing is The drawing is
well-made, somewhat well- poorly made
coherent and made, coherent coherent and
logical. and logical. logical.
Creativity The drawings are The drawings are The drawings are
visually appealing very simple, confusing,

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and is making it unimaginative,

imaginative. unappealing. and unappealing.
TOTAL

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