BIOENERGETICS

DISCLAIMER
◦ This presentation has been redesigned from Dr. Aidoo’s original for educational
purposes only.

◦ I have no part in this intellectual property, Thank you.

INTRODUCTION
◦ The biology of energy transformations and energy exchanges within and between living things
and their environments.

◦ Bioenergetics deal with the study of energy changes (transfer and utilization) in biochemical
reactions.

◦ Bioenergetics is the study of the balance between energy intake and utilization for different life-
sustaining processes (e.g., osmoregulation, digestion, locomotion, tissue synthesis).
EXERGONIC & ENDERGONIC
◦ Bioenergetics reactions are broadly classified as:

I. Exergonic (energy releasing) and

II. endergonic (energy consuming)

◦ Which of the following is exergonic or endergonic?

A. Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O + SUNLIGHT = C6H1206 +02
B. Metabolism: MALTOSE = GLUCOSE + GLUCOSE
C. Respiration: INSPIRATION/EXPIRATION
EXERGONIC REACTIONS
◦ Each compound involved in a chemical reaction contains a certain amount of potential
energy, related to the kind and numbers of its bonds.

◦ In spontaneous reactions, the reaction releases free energy, which is then available to do
work. AG is negative. Such reactions are called exergonic reactions.

◦ Catabolic reactions are exergonic in nature. Give examples of such spontaneous reactions.

◦ Energy losses occur as heat, faeces, urine and other gaseous losses.
ENDERGONIC REACTIONS
◦ Endergonic processes processed by coupling to exergonic processes.

◦ Vital processes i.e synthetic reactions, muscular contraction, nerve impulse contraction and
active transport obtain energy by chemical linkage or coupling to oxidative reactions.

◦ For instance, if the conversion of metabolite A to metabolite B occurs with the release of free
energy, another reaction can use the free energy to convert metabolite C to metabolite D.
FREE ENERGY
◦ What is Free energy (potential energy)?
✓ The energy actually available to do work is known as free energy
METABOLISM
◦ Metabolism is a highly coordinated cellular activity in which many metabolic pathways co-
operate to accomplish four functions:
I. Obtain chemical energy by capturing solar energy or degrading energy rich nutrients from
the environment.
II. Convert nutrient molecules into the cell's own characteristic molecules including
precursors of macromolecules.
III. Polymerize monomeric precursors into macromolecules: proteins, nucleic acids, and
polysaccharides.
IV. Synthesize and degrade biomolecules required in specialized cellular functions, such as
membrane lipids, intracellular messengers and pigments.