Subject: GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 Week No: ____________

Name: ____________________ Grade & Section: ________

Subject Teacher: IRENE BELLE D. LESIGUES Date:_________________

TANAUAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

LAS-GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 Week 1(Quarter 4)
COUPLED REACTIONS AND IMPORTANCE OF CHLOROPYLL AND
OTHER PIGMENTS

I. Learning Target:
Explain coupled reaction processes and describe the role of ATP in energy
coupling and transfer (STEM_BIO11/12-lla-j-3)
Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other pigments
(STEM_BIO11/12-lla-j-4)
ll. Specific Learning Targets:
Define related terms.
Describe how energy is stored in a molecule of ATP.
Explain coupled reaction processes.
Describe the role of ATP in energy coupling and transfer.
Discuss the two sets of reactions on the process of photosynthesis.
Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other pigments.

lll. Concept Notes:

Structure of ATP
In 1929, Karl Lohmann (1898-1978), a German biochemist, was given
credit for discovering ATP from extracts of muscles andliver. Prior to his
study, a few scientists were working on a chemical known as inosinic acid,
where ATP was derived from. Inosinic amino first discovered by Justus von
Liebig when he isolated the compound by boiling certain amino acids
together, such as
creatine and
creatinine. Lohmann’s
analysis on the ATP
structure was in close
competition with other
scientists but he
succeeded through
acid hydrolysis. The
colorless substance
yielded two moles of
phosphoric acid, one
mole of adenine, and one mole of ribose-5-phosphate. This structure was
not yet confirmed until 20 years.
After many years of validating its correct structure, ATP is now
scientifically accepted to be composed of a sugar molecule, a base group. In
the middle is sugar molecule, ribose. On one side of it is the nucleic acid,
adenine. On the other side is a string of phosphate groups. These phosphates
are the key to the activity of ATP.

ATP Mechanism
All cells have a small storage of highly charged ATP molecules,
specifically located at the cytoplasm of the cell. The adenosine and three
phosphate groups are all bonded together in sequence. Each of the
phosphate bonds has great energy potential tha can be used in any cellular
activity. Particularly, the bond
between the second and third
phosphate groups has the
highest and most accessible
energy.
Even an organism is
resting, ATP is still at work
because certain cellular
activities continue to work and require energy input. Thus, ATP should be
able to continuously meet all energy demands of the organism.

All types of
chemical
reaction
require the
involvement
of energy. In
an
endergonic
reaction,
energy is a
basic requirement for a chemical reaction to commence. In fact, a chemical
reaction requires more energy than what you can get. Occasionally, the
reaction continues to absorb energy throughout the process. Thus, the
products are at higher energy level than the reactants. Endergonic reactions
are nonspontaneous and usually occur in organisms, because they need to
synthesize complex molecules such as fats, amino acids and sugars.
Examples of endergonic reactions include photosynthesis and melting of ice
to liquid water, wherein large amount of energy are needed for these
processes to proceed. Heat and light energy, for example are required for
glucose to be produced in photosynthesis, whereas heat is needed for the
ice to melt. Within the body, endergonic reactions occur in protein synthesis,
muscle contraction and, nerve conduction.
Exergonic reactions, on the other hand, are spontaneous or favorable
chemical reactions wherein the product are at lower energy level than the
reactants. In this case, the reactions release more energy that what was
required.

Coupled Reactions
ATP is a highly unstable molecule. It spontaneously dissociates into ADP
and inorganic phosphate even when there is no activity requiring energy.
Thus, this energy is produced as free energy and is lost as heat. However,
because cells are efficient, they harness this free energy within the bonds
through a strategy called energy coupling.

Example of a coupled reaction, the phosphorylation of glucose (endergonic

reaction) requires energy from the hydrolysis of ATP.

Simply put, a coupled biochemical reaction happens when the free energy
from an exergonic reaction is used to initiate an endergonic reaction by
coupling or joining the two reactions, where they become complementary.
The hydrolysis of ATP is involved in coupled reactions with numerous
biochemical processes, such as the phosphorylation of glucose.
Phosphorelation is process of adding a phosphate group to a certain
biomolecule, such as glucose. The hydrolysis of ATP is an exergonic reaction
because it releases energy. This energy will be used for an endergonic
reaction, such as the phosphorylation of glucose. It creates a high-energy
but unstable intermediate. As the process continues, the
phosphate group slightly changes its shape to fit the enymes, which then
transform the phosphorylated glucose molecule into a fructose molecule. The
conversion of these sugars is important because glycolysis needs fructose
molecule to produce energy.
When energy is released through hydrolysis, ATP becomes the energy-
deficient ADP, having two phosphate groups left in sequence instead of
three. One way to transform ADP back to ATP is through the food that they
consume.
The use of ATP for many biological and chemical processes in the body
happens with the help of enzyme called ATPase. To take advantage of the
high energy bonds in ATP, almost all cells have ATPases that help split the
bonds of phosphate groups to release the energy.
Coupled reactions usually happen in anabolic and catabolic processes
involving the same molecules. Anabolic reactions are endergonic reactions
because energy is required for them to proceed. Catabolic reactions, on the
other hand, are exergonic reactions because free energy is released from the
breakdown of molecules.
As said previously, cells form an efficient energy cycle by coupling or
combining anabolic reactions with catabolic reactions, because anabolic
reactions capture the energy released from the catabolic reactions. An
example is shown on the coupled reaction above.
Both anabolism and catabolism is maintained by the circadian rhythm,
which maintains regular or patterned processes in the body within a 24-hour
cycle. The circadian rhythm, is disrupted when an organim changes certain
habits or lifestyle, such as sleeping at 2am, or eating at 3pm. In this case,
glucose metabolism, for example, fluctuates to catch up to the persons need
for energy.
In essence, anabolism works synthesize complex ,molecules, which is
initiated by the energy released through catabolism. The biomolecules
usually undergo anabolic processes from simple molecules. These simple
molecules may also come as products of catabolic reactions. The production
of more and more complex molecules indicates higher energy content, as
compared with their simple precursors.
Functions of ATP
Three distinct functions are recognized;
1) Chemical work. ATP provides the energy required for producing
complex substances, such as biomolecules.
2) Mechanical work. ATP provides the energy for cells and tissues to
perform their functions, such as the circulation of blood, the contraction
of muscles, and the pumping of the heart.
 3) Transport work. ATP provides the energy for substances to move, such
as the entry and exit of compounds across cell membranes to protein
enzymes.

Metabolism through ATP

For heterotrophs or organisms that obtain energy from other sources,
food is actually the source of ATP. The chemical energy released from the
nutrients that are absorbed in the body is captured by ATP molecules to be
used on certain reactions that require energy. First, the digestive system
breaks down the ingested food into smaller molecules, such as amino acids,
glucose, and fatty acids. These small units are then absorbed into the
bloodstream and transported into the cells. The cells use these molecules to
convert ADP molecules into ATP molecules and to build and strengthen all
structures. If the body does not have this mechanism, it will easily run out
of ATP after a couple of seconds.
The higher your metabolism is, the more energy you can produce, and
the more fat you can burn. It is estimated that around half of the chemical
products from ingested food contribute to the production and maintenance
of ATP.
Carbohydrates are great sources of energy. Each time you consume
foods rich in carbohydrates, your body is replenished and supplied with more
sources of energy. ADP can be converted back to ATP when a phosphate
molecule reattaches to it, and this is made possible by the energy that is
used in the reattachment. So the energy is used alternately during the
making and the breaking of bonds within the phosphate groups of ATP. This
process is a cycle that maintains the availability of energy within the cells.
Fats. Great sources of ATP, but most of the food that we eat contains
bad fats instead of good ones. Bad fats are stored immediately instead of
getting used up. Because most of these bad fats contain high levels of
saturated triglycerides they may require high-intensity activities for them to
be broken down. Most good fats, on the other hand, have higher levels of
unsaturated triglycerides. This makes them easier to be broken down by the
body. Sources of good fats include fish and nuts. Sources of bad fats include
fried foods such as chips and fries, dairy products such as butter and cheese.
Oxygen. Aside from food intake, oxygen is important for ATP to function
well. Inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling through the mouth will
fire up ATP production and energy release.

Two sets of Reaction

 The process of photosynthesis, having two distinct sets of reactions,
was discovered by British plant physiologist F.F. Blackman in 1905. Using the
water plant Elodea as the test organism, he discovered that Elodea gave off
oxygen bubbles when exposed to carbon dioxide and water. He then counted
the number of bubbles given off in a fixed interval of time at each of several
light intensities. From this recorded data, he observed that the rate of
photosynthesis did not increase with amplified illumination. He then
suggested that there must be at least two distinct processes involved in the
process: one that requires light and the other one which does not.
Light Dependent Reaction. This stage requires light. During daylight
hours, the chlorophyll in the thylakoid membrane absorbs the solar energy.
Protons energize the electrons, including them to move down the electron
transport chain. They release energy, which is captured ATP molecules.
Energized electrons are also taken up by NADP to become NADPH. In this
case, solar energy is thus converted to chemical energy.
Calvin Cycle. The Calvin cycle is named after Melvin Calvin (1911-1997),
who discovered the enzymatic reactions that reduce carbon dioxide to a
carbohydrate. This happens in the stroma of the chloroplast. This stage, as
opposed to the light-dependent reaction phase, can occur during both day
and night. It is dependent on solar energy.
Calvin and his team showed the path of carbon in photosynthesis through a
tracer in the form of radioactive isotope carbon-14. Using the single-celled
algae Chlorella immersed in boiling alcohol, the movement of alcohol was
easily detected. They traced the carbon-14 in Chlorella from the absorption
of carbon dioxide to its conversion into carbohydrates and other organic
molecules.

Importance of Chlorophyll and other pigments

Certain pigment molecules in plants absorb only some wavelengths of
the visible light. They either reflect or transmit those wavelengths they do
not absorb. The pigments found in the chloroplasts have different absorption
spectra depending on the type of photosynthetic organism. In plants,
chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b have prominent absorption roles as pigments.
Chlorophyll a and b differ in structure and function. In photosynthesis,
chlorophyll a plays a more important role, as it is the one that directly absorbs
light energy. In contrast, chlorophyll b is considered an accessory pigment
because it transfers only the absorbed light energy to chlorophyll a.
You see chlorophyll as green because this is the only color that most
plants do not absorb. Both chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b absorb violet, blue,
and red lights, and they reflect the green light back to our eyes.
 Carotenoid, another common pigment, also plays an accessory role. It
is the shade of yellow and orange because, again these colors are the ones
that are reflected back to our eyes. It absorbs only the violet-blue-green-
orange. During autumn is most temperate regions, carotenoid pigments
become apparent in trees because their chlorophyll breaks down.

IV. Activities:
A. Diagram Analysis
Glutamine is an essential amino acid that is helpful in maintaining
healthy intestines and immune systems. It is made from the
condensation of glutamate with ammonium.

Answer the following;

1. Explain how coupling reaction occurs in the two reactions?
2. Why is the hydrolysis of ATP an exergonic reaction?
B. Answer briefly.
What is the importance of pigments in plants? Do the different colors
of pigments matter in terms of how light is absorbed?

Prepared: Reviewed:

IRENE BELLE D. LESIGUES, LPT CLARESA M. CAÑEDA, MPH

SHS-Dept. Head Designate Master Teacher ll

Recommending Approval: Approved:

LORLITA S. RICABLANCA, DM MICHAEL A. REGIS, CE, MM, MAT

Assistant SHS Principal II Principal IV