CHAPTER 16:

CELLULAR RESPIRATION
16.2.3 OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION
 16.2.3 OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
a) Describe electron transport chain:
The pathway of electron transport is:
 NADH dehydrogenase
 Succinate dehydrogenase
 Ubiquinone / CoQ
 cyt c reductase
 cyt c
 cyt c oxidase
b) Explain chemiosmosis: proton motive force
c) Explain complete oxidation of one molecule of glucose in
active cells.
WHY NEED ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN?
• Because there is only 4 ATP produced per
glucose through substrate-level
phosphorylation during glycolysis & Krebs
cycle.

• Most of the energy extracted from a glucose

molecule is stored in NADH and FADH2.

• So, the electrons (with high energy) in NADH

and FADH2 must be transported along the ETC.

• The energy released by ETC is used to

synthesize ATP.
 ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
Definition:
Series of electron carrier molecules, embedded
in inner membrane of mitochondria that carry
electron from NADH and FADH2 through a
series of redox reactions to synthesize ATP.
ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN & CHEMIOSMOSIS
 LOCATION OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
Thousands of electron transport chain (ETC) on:
(i) Inner membrane of mitochondria including
cristae.
(ii) Thylakoid membrane of chloroplast
 PURPOSE OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

• Break a large free energy from food (glucose)

into a series of smaller steps through electron
transport chain that release energy in
manageable amount.

• Stored in the form of ATP.

BASIC CONCEPT OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
• Hydrogen atom from NADH + H+ & FADH2 dissociates
into protons and electrons (occur in mitochondrial
matrix).

2H 2H+ + 2e-
BASIC CONCEPT OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
• Proton / hydrogen ion (H+) are released into matrix of
mitochondria.
• Then H+ is pumped into the intermembrane space in
the next reaction (CHEMIOSMOSIS).
BASIC CONCEPT OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
• Electron (e-) enter electron transport chain.
• Energy is released during the transfer of electron.
• The energy released is used for synthesizing ATP by
oxidative phosphorylation
BASIC CONCEPT OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

 NADH + H+ ETC 3 ATP

 FADH2 ETC 2 ATP

 COMPONENT OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
The pathway of electron flow
along ETC:
1. NADH dehydrogenase
(Complex I)
2. Succinate dehydrogenase
(Complex II)
3. Ubiquinone / Coenzyme Q
(CoQ)
4. Cytochrome c reductase
(Complex III)
5. Cytochrome c (cyt c)
6. Cytochrome c oxidase
(Complex IV)
7. Oxygen atom (½ O2)
*Complex I, II III & IV are integral proteins that are non-motile.
The Pathway of Electron Flow along ETC
 How the ETC works?

• Electron carrier alternate between oxidized or

reduced form when

Lost electron (is oxidised )

Accept electron (is reduced)

• Electron transfer involves redox reaction.

• The energy released during electron transfer
is used to synthesis ATP by oxidative
phosphorylation.
 How the ETC works?
• A component of the
chain is reduced
when it accepts
electron from its
‘uphill’ neighbour

• A component of the
chain is oxidized
when it passes
electron to its
‘downhill’ neighbour
 The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+
STEP 1: Complex I : NADH dehydrogenase
• Is a flavoprotein which has prosthetic group FMN (flavin
mononucleotide) and iron-sulfur protein (Fe.S)
• NADH + H+ from glycolysis, link reaction and Krebs cycle
transfer electron to NADH dehydrogenase
 The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+
STEP 1: Complex I : NADH dehydrogenase
• NADH dehydrogenase is reduced when it accept 2
electrons from NADH + H+.
• NADH + H+ oxidized forming NAD+
 The Pathway of Electron from FADH2
STEP 1: Complex II : Succinate dehydrogenase
• Succinate dehydrogenase is reduced when it accept electron
from FADH2
• FADH2 oxidized when it passes the electron to ubiquinone/
CoQ.
 The Pathway of Electron from FADH2
STEP 1: Complex II : Succinate dehydrogenase

• Electron carried by FAD has lower energy than electron

carried by NAD+. Thus one-third less energy is released than
the oxidation of NADH.
The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 2: Ubiquinone / Coenzyme Q (CoQ)

• CoQ is small lipid molecule (the only non protein carrier)
which is mobile in phospholipid bilayer. (mobile carrier)
• The NADH dehydrogenase returns to its oxidised form as it
passes electrons to CoQ.
The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 2: Ubiquinone / Coenzyme Q (CoQ)

• CoQ is reduced.
• CoQ is oxidised when it passes electrons to cytochrome
c reductase.
 HOTS QUESTION

Why is CoQ mobile in phospholipid

bilayer?
 The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 3: Complex III : Cytochrome c reductase

• Has haem group as prosthetic group.

• It is reduced when it accept electron from CoQ and
oxidized when it passes electron to cyt c.
 The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 4: Cytochrome c / cyt c

• Is a small mobile protein.
• It is reduced when it accept electron from cytochrome c
reductase (Complex III) and oxidized when it passes
electron to cytochrome c oxidase (Complex IV).
The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 5: Complex IV : Cytochrome c oxidase

• It is reduced when accepts electron from cyt c and

oxidized when it passes electron to oxygen
molecule (½ O2).
 The Pathway of Electron from NADH + H+ and FADH2

STEP 6: Oxygen atom / ½ O2

• As the last electron acceptor.
• ½ O2 is reduced when accepts 2 electron from cytochrome
c oxidase (Complex IV) and 2H+ from mitochondrial matrix.
• Water (H2O) is formed.
 ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
NADH pathway

Intermembrane
Complex I reduced space

Cyt c

Q IV
III
I ATP
synthase
e
H+ 2 H+ + ½ O2
H+
NADH NAD+
H+
NADH oxidized matrix
 CHAPTER 6.0: CELLULAR RESPIRATION 6.2 : AEROBIC RESPIRATION

Electron Transport Chain…

NADH pathway
Q reduced Intermembrane
space
Cyt c

Q IV
III
I e
ATP
synthase
H+
H+
H+ 2 H+ + ½ O2
Complex I oxidized matrix

Describe electron transport chain: the pathway of electron transport is NADH

LEARNING OUTCOMES: dehydrogenase, Ubiquinone/CoQ, cyc c reductase, cyt c, cyt c oxidase
 CHAPTER 6.0: CELLULAR RESPIRATION 6.2 : AEROBIC RESPIRATION

Electron Transport Chain…

NADH pathway
Complex III reduced
Intermembrane
space
H+ Cyt c

e
Q III IV
I ATP
synthase

H+ H+
2 H+ + ½ O2

Q oxidized matrix

Describe electron transport chain: the pathway of electron transport is NADH

LEARNING OUTCOMES: dehydrogenase, Ubiquinone/CoQ, cyc c reductase, cyt c, cyt c oxidase
 CHAPTER 6.0: CELLULAR RESPIRATION 6.2 : AEROBIC RESPIRATION

Electron Transport Chain…

NADH pathway
Cyt c reduced
H+ Intermembrane
space
Cyt c

Q e
IV
III
I
ATP
synthase
H+
H+
2 H+ + ½ O2

Complex III oxidized matrix

Describe electron transport chain: the pathway of electron transport is NADH

LEARNING OUTCOMES: dehydrogenase, Ubiquinone/CoQ, cyc c reductase, cyt c, cyt c oxidase
 CHAPTER 6.0: CELLULAR RESPIRATION 6.2 : AEROBIC RESPIRATION

Electron Transport Chain…

NADH pathway
Complex IV reduced
H+
H+ Intermembrane
ec
Cyt
space

Q IV
III
I
ATP
synthase
H+
2 H+ + ½ O2

Cyt c oxidized matrix

Describe electron transport chain: the pathway of electron transport is NADH

LEARNING OUTCOMES: dehydrogenase, Ubiquinone/CoQ, cyc c reductase, cyt c, cyt c oxidase
CHAPTER 6.0: CELLULAR RESPIRATION 6.2 : AEROBIC RESPIRATION

Electron Transport Chain…

NADH pathway
Electron passed to oxygen atom. Intermembrane
H+ space
H+

Cyt c
e
Q IV
I III

ATP
2 H+ + ½ O2 synthase
H+

Complex IV oxidized matrix

 HOTS QUESTION

What would happen to oxidative

phosphorylation if oxygen is absent?
 Proton pumps

• The energy released during electron transfer is used to

pump protons from the matrix of mitochondria into the
intermembrane space of mitochondria
• at NADH dehydrogenase, cytochrome c reductase and
cytochrome c oxidase
 Proton pumps

• Causing the accumulation of high concentration of

proton / H+ in the intermembrane space of
mitochondria.
• Resulting in proton (H+) gradient / proton motive force
across the membrane
 Proton pumps

• High concentration of H+ in the intermembrane

space of mitochondria and low concentration
of H+ in the mitochondrial matrix.
 CHEMIOSMOSIS
Definition:

The movement of
hydrogen ion (H+ ) from
high H+ concentration
to low H+ concentration
through ATP synthase
to catalyze the
synthesis of ATP from
ADP and inorganic
phosphate.

ATP Synthase
 CHEMIOSMOSIS
• H+ gradient caused H+
to diffuse back into
mitochondrial matrix
down the
concentration
gradient through ATP
synthase.

• The flow of H+
provides energy to
generate ATP/
phosphorylate ADP
into ATP. ATP Synthase
CHEMIOSMOSIS
 SHUTTLE OF ELECTRONS
• NADH + H+ from glycolysis cannot move
across the inner membrane of mitochondria
directly.
• NADH + H+ must donate its electron to the ETC
via shuttle
• Types of shuttle:
(i) Malate-aspartate shuttle:
- in active cell (e.g: liver cell)
(ii) Glycerol phosphate shuttle:
- in normal cell (e.g: skeletal muscle)
 MALATE-ASPARTATE SHUTTLE

• Each NADH is transported to the ETC

 produces 3 ATP
 MALATE-ASPARTATE SHUTTLE

• In cytosol:
- Oxidation of NADH + H+ release 2H
- OAA is reduced to malate
• In mitochondria:
Malate is oxidized to OAA
NAD+ accept 2H and reduced to NADH + H+
NADH + H+ enter the ETC and produce 3 ATP
 GLYCEROL PHOSPHATE SHUTTLE

• Each FADH2 is transported to the ETC

 produces 2 ATP
 GLYCEROL PHOSPHATE SHUTTLE

• In cytosol :
– Oxidation of NADH + H+ release 2H
– DHAP is reduced to G3P
• In mitochondria :
– G3P is oxidized to DHAP
– FAD accept 2H and reduced to FADH2
– FADH2 enter the ETC and produce 2 ATP
CHEMIOSMOSIS
• For each glucose
molecule that
enters cellular
respiration,
chemiosmosis
produces up to 34
ATP molecules
through oxidative
phosphorylation
(in active cells)
 Amount of ATP Production by Oxidative
Phosphorylation In Active Cells

Oxidative Phosphorylation

Glycolysis 2 NADH + 2 H+ × 3 ATP 6 ATP

Link reaction 2 NADH + 2 H+ × 3 ATP 6 ATP

Krebs cycle 6 NADH + 6H+ × 3 ATP 18 ATP

2 FADH2 × 2 ATP 4 ATP

Total number of ATP 34 ATP

 Total Amount of ATP Production In Active
Cells
1) Substrate-Level Phosphorylation
Glycolysis 2 ATP
Krebs cycle 2 ATP
2) Oxidative Phosphorylation
Glycolysis 2 NADH + 2 H+ × 3 ATP 6 ATP
Link reaction 2 NADH + 2 H+ × 3 ATP 6 ATP
Krebs cycle 6 NADH + 6H+ × 3 ATP 18 ATP

2 FADH2 × 2 ATP 4 ATP

Total number of ATP 38 ATP