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5.1 The need for energy in living

5.2 Aerobic respiration
5.3 Anaerobic respiration

CELLULAR RESPIRATION

5.2 Aerobic respiration

• Describe the effects of cyanide and carbon

monoxide on respiration.
• Explain how lipid and protein act as alternative
energy sources.

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THE EFFECT OF CYANIDE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ON

RESPIRATION

Effect of cyanide on respiration

• Cyanide is a non-competitive inhibitor

• It binds strongly to the Ferum ions of cytochrome a3 in

cytochrome oxidase.

• Cytochrome a3 is at the end of the ETC.

• It prevents the transfer of electron to oxygen, preventing

oxygen from being utilised

• This blocks the flow of electrons along the ETC and the
electrons accumulate.

CHAPTER 5 : CELLULAR RESPIRATION

• When the electron flow is blocked, hydrogen ion (protons)

cannot be pumped across the inner membrane from the
matrix into the intermembrane space of mitochondrion.

• The creation of concentration gradient of protons is

prevented.

• There is no flow of H+ ion through ATP synthase.

• Synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi by oxidative

phosphorylation is prevented.

• Cyanide is deadly poison. High concentration of cyanide in

the body may lead to death rapidly.

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Cytochrome
Coenzyme Q
Flavoprotein oxidase
@
ubiquinone
Cyt a
FP Q Cyt b Cyt c Inner
Cyt a3 membrane

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Effect of carbon monoxide on respiration

• Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas. It is a product of the

incomplete combustion of organic matter.

• Haemoglobin has a higher affinity toward carbon monoxide

compared to the oxygen. Carbon monoxide binds to
haemoglobin in red blood cell.

• The increase of carbon monoxide concentration in the blood

reduces the amount of haemoglobin available to transport
oxygen.

• Oxygen functions as the last acceptor of hydrogen atom /

electron in the ETC.

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• Lower concentration or absence of oxygen prevent the

transportation of the electron since the less oxygen is present
to receive the electron / hydrogen atoms at the end of the
ETC.

• Creation of the concentration gradient of proton in the

intermembrane space is prevented. It causes the synthesis of
ATP through chemiosmosis is inhibited.

• Thus the energy synthesis in the cell is prevented, resulting in

the death of the cell.

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ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

• Cellular respiration is remarkably efficient in
energy conversion.

• Besides carbohydrate (glucose), other

substances (eg: fats & proteins) can also
be used as respiratory substrate ~ to make
ATP.

• Acetyl CoA is an intermediate in

carbohydrate metabolism.

• In LIPID metabolism, glycerol is converted

to G3P / PGAL, an intermediate of
glycolysis.
Fatty acids enter the Krebs cycle as acetyl
CoA.
@ Citric
• Lipid is oxidised through β-oxidation in the acid cycle
matrix of mitochondria.

Beta oxidation: a metabolic sequence that

breaks the fatty acid down to 2C fragment OXIDATIVE
(as acetyl CoA); which enter the Krebs PHOSPHORYLATION
cycle

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Alternative energy source

• Glucose is not only source of energy.
• Lipids and proteins can also be used as source of
energy
• Lipid / triglyceride is first hydrolysed to form glycerol
and fatty acid by lipase enzyme.
• The glycerol formed can be phosphorylated by ATP
and dehydrogenated by NAD+ to form glyceraldehyde-
3-phosphate which can enter the glycolysis pathway
and subsequently the Krebs cycle.
• The fatty acid can be broken down in the matrix of the
mitochondria into acetyl group (2C fragments) which
combine with coenzyme A to form acetyl coenzyme A.
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• This process is called beta oxidation (ᵝ oxidation ).

Acetyl coenzyme A enters the Kreb cycle.
• Fat produced more energy compared to
carbohydrates.
• Proteins are used as source of energy only during
starvation in animals and seed germination in plants.
• Proteins first hydrolysed into amino acids.
• The amino acids then undergo deamination in the
liver to remove the amino group (NH2).
• The remaining portion (keto acid) then enters the
respiratory pathway depending on their content.

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• 5C amino acids are converted into and ketoglutarate

and 4C amino acids into oxaloacetate. Ketoglutarate
and oxaloacetate are intermediate of the Krebs cycle.
• 3C amino acids are converted into pyruvate which
can convert into acetyl coenzyme A.
• Amino acids with larger quantities of carbon undergo
transamination to be converted into 3, 4 or 5 carbon
amino acids.
• In animals, protein in muscle is first used.

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