Chapter 8, Sections 4-5 Reading Questions

Section 4:
1. Explain when carbon is converted from glucose into carbon dioxide during cellular respiration.

During cellular respiration, six carbons from glucose are broken down to two pyruvate molecules each
with three carbons. They then undergo a preparatory reaction losing one carbon each which is turned
into 2 carbon dioxides. Finally, during the citric acid cycle, the remaining four carbons are released into
carbon dioxide.

2. Examine which processes during glucose breakdown produce the most ATP.

The electron transport chain produces the most ATP: 32-34.

3. Compare the function of the mitochondrial inner membrane to a hydroelectric dam.

The dam controls the outflow of water just as the membrane controls the outflow of hydrogen ions.
Moreover, the dam generates electricity as water flows through just like the generation of ATP when
hydrogen ions move into the intermembrane space.

Section 5:
1. Evaluate how catabolism and anabolism are balanced within a cell.

Both reactions draw from a metabolic pool of substrates for their respective reactions; the substrate
amount in this pool will prompt either catabolism or anabolism to occur and thus keeps each of the
reaction in a controlled but changing state. Note that catabolism and anabolism will produce products
that either take away or add to the substrate pool.

2. Describe how different molecules (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates) enter the metabolic cycle. Do
they all start at the same reaction? Why or why not?

Lipids, proteins, and carbs are all broken down into their subparts via catabolism. All of them come
from the metabolic pool and, after having undergone catabolism, all undergo glycolysis, although
amino acids (from proteins) can enter the citric acid cycle directly.