Biochemistry

FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022

Cellular Metabolism- Krebs cycle, Electron Transport Chain

Three major stages in converting food into ATP: food carrier of acetyl group (CH3C=O)
breakdown, glycolysis, and the Krebs Cycle.
Stage 1: Food Breakdown
Before food can be converted into ATP, it must be broken
down into simpler forms of sugar, lipid, or amino acids.
Stage 2: Glycolysis
The simple molecules from stage 1 must be converted into
an intermediate product before it can be converted into
ATP.
Stage 3: Aerobic Respiration
In this step, food is finally converted into ATP. • Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD) - also derived from
Fermentation In the absence of oxygen, cells undergo riboflavin (vitamin B2) and acts as hydrogen acceptor.
fermentation to produce ATP.

Aerobic Respiration
• The pyruvate produced in glycolysis undergoes further
breakdown through a process called aerobic
respiration in most organisms. This process requires
oxygen and yields much more energy than glycolysis.
• Aerobic respiration is divided into two processes:
1. the Krebs cycle, and
2. the Electron Transport Chain, which produces ATP
through chemiosmotic phosphorylation. The
energy conversion is as follows:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP)

Molecules that participate in the process of aerobic Oxidation of Pyruvate and the Krebs Cycle (citric acid
respiration. cycle, TCA cycle)
• Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP), and Adenosine Goal: take pyruvate and put it into the Krebs cycle,
Triphosphate (ATP) producing NADH and FADH2 where: the mitochondria

There are two steps:

1.The Conversion of Pyruvate to Acetyl CoA
2.The Krebs Cycle proper

The Krebs cycle and the conversion of pyruvate to Acetyl

• Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) - is a
coenzyme derived from niacin (vitamin B5). It acts as
hydrogen acceptor during the process of
dehydrogenation.
CoA produce 2 ATP's, 8 NADH's, and 2FADH 2's per glucose
molecule The pyruvate molecules produced during
glycolysis contain a lot of energy in the bonds between
their molecules. In order to use that energy, the cell must
convert it into the form of ATP. To do so, pyruvate
molecules are processed through the Krebs Cycle, also
known as the citric acid cycle.

Pyruvate diffuses from the cytoplasm into the

mitochondrion. The ff. chemical reactions take place.
1. one atom of carbon dioxide is released from
pyruvate, leaving behind a 2-carbon fragment.
2. This 2-carbon fragment combines with coenzyme
A (COASH), forming a two-carbon carrier molecule
called acetyl coenzyme A or
3. dehydrogenation which involves the release of
• Coenzyme A (abbreviated as COASH) - is a coenzyme hydrogen which in turn is accepted by NAD to
derived from pantothenic acid (vitamin). It acts as form NADH.

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Toribio, Pia Louise A.
 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Cellular Metabolism- Krebs cycle, Electron Transport Chain

1. The Oxidation of Pyruvate to form Acetyl CoA • 9 H hydration

• 10 O oxidation
Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Pyruvate carboxylase
ENZYMES
D =dehydrogenase
S =synthase
S-A-D-D-S-D-F-D
Citrate synthetase
Aconitase
2. Krebs Cycle Isocitrate dehydrogenase
The series of reactions that bring about the breakdown of Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
Acetyl CoA is known as the Krebs Cycle. It is named after Succinyl-CoA synthetase
its discoverer Hans Krebs. Succinic dehydrogenase
This set of reactions is also known as the Citric acid cycle Fumarase
because the first reaction involves the Malate dehydrogenase
formation of a 6-carbon compound called citric acid which
is a tricarboxylic acid. So, it is also
known as Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle. HYDROGEN TRANSPORT
You will notice that during cellular respiration of glucose,
there are several events wherein hydrogen atoms are
The final steps in the breakdown of glucose, takes place released (dehydrogenation)
in the Krebs Cycle as shown in Figure 3. The ff. chemical Where did the hydrogen atoms go?
changes occur in the each turn of the Krebs Cycle: If you will analyze the series of reactions during cellular
1. acetyl CoA combines with a 4-carbon compound called respiration, the hydrogen atoms released are accepted by
oxaloacetic acid to form a 6- carbon acid called citric NAD forming NADH. This in turn transfers the hydrogen to
acid. the Electron Transport Chain (ETC) where large amount of
2. the 6- carbon compound releases CO2 and is ATP is generated.
converted to a 5-carbon compound called ketoglutaric The ETC consists of series of hydrogen proton and electron
acid. Dehydrogenation also occur during this process acceptors as illustrated in figure 4
wherein hydrogen atoms are removed and accepted
by NAD to form NADH
3. ketoglutaric acid in turn gives up CO2 forming a 4-
carbon molecule called succinyl coenzyme A.
The two electrons pass through a series of electron
Dehydrogenation also occur in this reaction.
acceptor molecules, each one attracting
4. Succinyl CoA is converted to a 4-carbon compound
electrons more strongly than the preceeding acceptor
called succinic acid with accompanying formation of
molecule.
ATP.
So, the electron transport system is a series of chemical
5. Succinic acid in turn undergoes dehydrogenation and
reactions into which all of the hydrogens removed from the
is converted to a 4-carbon compound called fumaric
fuel molecule during glycolysis, oxidation of pyruvate, and
acid. This time, FAD acts as the hydrogen acceptor.
the Krebs Cycle, are fed and processed.
6. Fumaric undergoes dehydration (removal of water) to
form a 4-carbon compound called malic acid.
7. Malic acid then undergoes dehydrogenation and is
converted back to oxaloacetic acid. NAD acts as the
hydrogen acceptor.

• CD RODO POHO
• 1 C condensation
• 2 D dehydration
• 3 R rehydration
• 4 O oxidation Figure 4 The Electron Transport Chain

• 5 D decarboxylation
• 6 OD oxidative decarboxylation
• 7 P phosphorylation
• 8 O oxidation
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Toribio, Pia Louise A.
 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Cellular Metabolism- Krebs cycle, Electron Transport Chain

α- ketoglutarate → Succinyl CoA 3

Succinyl CoA→ Succinate 1
Succinate → Fumarate 2
Malate →Oxaloacetate 3
TOTAL 12
Chemical Steps Number of
ATP
molecules
produced
Glucose→ Fru-1,6- diphosphate -2
Oxidative phosphorylation 4
2moles Gly-3-Phosphate →1,3-
diphosphoglycerate
Dephosphorylation 4
The electron transport during aerobic respiration begins 2moles 1,3-biphosphoglycerate →
with the transfer of electrons from NADH and FADH2 pyruvate
collected on the inner mitochondrial membrane. The Oxidative Decarboxylation 6
electrons move from the high energy level of electron 2 moles pyruvate → acetyl CoA
acceptor molecules to the lower energy final acceptor,
which is oxygen. Thus, the final product of hydrogen
Krebs Cycle 24
transfer is water.
TOTAL 36
2 (2H + + 2 e) + O2 → 2 H2O
The oxidation of one acetyl CoA produces 12 ATP & one
As electrons move from one acceptor molecule to another,
glucose molecules produce 2 acetyl CoA molecules.
they gradually give off energy. The cell uses some of this
energy to generate ATP.
Anaerobic Respiration
• Goal: to reduce pyruvate, thus generating NAD +
THE TOTAL ENERGY YIELD
Where: the cytoplasm
• How much chemical energy does cellular respiration
Why: in the absence of oxygen, it is the only way to
yield from a single molecule of glucose? Recall that
generate NAD+
glycolysis produces just 6 ATP molecules per glucose.
• Alcohol Fermentation - occurs in yeasts in many
In the absence of oxygen, that is all the energy that a
bacteria
cell can extract from each molecule of glucose.
• The product of fermentation, alcohol, is toxic to the
• In the presence of oxygen, everything changes. As
organism.
shown in table 6.51, the complete breakdown of
glucose through cellular respiration, including
glycolysis, results in the production of 36 moles of
ATP.

Table 1 Summary of ATP production during the complete

breakdown of one molecule of glucose • Lactic Acid Fermentation - occurs in humans and
PROCESS MOLES OF ATP
other mammals
PRODUCED
 The product of Lactic Acid fermentation, lactic
Glycolysis (Glucose to Pyruvate) 6
acid, is toxic to mammals
Oxidation of Pyruvate 6  This is the "burn" felt when undergoing strenuous
Krebs Cycle 24 activity
TOTAL 36
CHEMICAL STEPS Number of
ATP
molecules
produced
Isocitrate →Oxalosuccinate 3
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Toribio, Pia Louise A.
 Biochemistry
FIRST YEAR - FINAL TERM MRS. CECILIA VILLANUEVA 11/2021 - 01/2022
Cellular Metabolism- Krebs cycle, Electron Transport Chain

• The only goal of fermentation reactions is to convert

NADH to NAD+ (to use in glycolysis).
• No energy is gained
• Note differences –
anaerobic respiration - 2 ATP's produced (from glycolysis),
aerobic respiration- 36 ATP's produced (from glycolysis,
Krebs cycle, and Oxidative Phosphorylation)
• Thus, the evolution of an oxygen-rich atmosphere,
which facilitated the evolution of aerobic respiration,
was crucial in the diversification of life

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Toribio, Pia Louise A.