ZABALA, KELSEY ANNE L.

BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
201511468 MIDTERM REQUIREMENT
PROBLEM #3:

In glycolysis, glucose in the cytoplasm is broken into two ​molecules​ of ​pyruvate​. Ten
enzymes​ are needed for the ten intermediate compounds in this process.
1. Two energy-rich ​ATP​ kick-start the process.
 2. At the end are two pyruvate molecules, plus
3. Substrate level - Four molecules of ATP are made in reaction number 7 & 10
4. In cells which use ​oxygen​, the pyruvate is used in a second process, the ​Krebs cycle​,
which produces more ATP molecules.

Acetyl CoA joins with oxaloacetate to form a compound with six ​carbon​ atoms. This is the
first step in the ever-repeating Krebs cycle. Because two acetyl-CoA molecules are produced from
each glucose molecule, ​two cycles are required per glucose molecule​. Therefore, at the end of two
cycles, the products are: two ATP, six NADH, two FADH, and four CO2. The ATP is a molecule
which carries energy in chemical form to be used in other cell processes. This process is also known
as the TCA cycle (Tricarboxylic (try-car-box-ILL-ick) acid cycle), the citric acid cycle, or the Krebs
cycle after the biochemist who elucidated its reactions.

This is where most of the ATP is made. All of the hydrogen molecules which have been
removed in the steps before (Krebs cycle, Link reaction) are pumped inside the mitochondria using
energy that electrons release. Eventually, the electrons powering the pumping of hydrogen into the
mitochondria mix with some hydrogen and oxygen to form water and the hydrogen molecules stop
being pumped.
Eventually, the hydrogen flows back into the cytoplasm of the mitochondria through ​protein
channels​. As the hydrogen flows, ATP is made from ​ADP​ and phosphate ions.