Cellular Metabolism

Cellular Metabolism
All chemical reactions that happen within the cell
But that’s way too much!
So what you need to know:
◦ Anabolic and Catabolic reactions
◦ Cellular Respiration and Energy production
◦ Aerobic and Anaerobic respiration
◦ How Energy is stored, transported and used by cells
Catabolic Reactions
These are chemical processes which:
◦ Breakdown complex molecules into simpler ones
◦ Release Energy

◦ Processes such as cellular respiration (that you may recall from

lower school!) are catabolic
Anabolic Reactions
These are reactions that use energy to create more complex molecules from
simpler ones

Photosynthesis would be a good example if we were plants…

Chemical Potential Energy
Molecules store energy in the bonds between atoms.
Therefore, it tends to be that making complex molecules (with more bonds) requires energy to
get them to ‘join together’. Once formed, the bonds within these molecules are energy ‘storage’
sites, and breaking them down again will release energy.
Cellular Respiration

C6H12O6 + 6O2 ! 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy

Respiration and breathing are not synonyms.

And Cellular respiration is not one single chemical reaction…
Energy is released in the form of a molecule called ATP. We’ll talk about that one tomorrow
Glycolysis
First steps in cellular respiration.
Occur in Cytosol of the cell
Don’t need oxygen, therefore referred to as Anaerobic
And you don’t need to know all those steps!
Krebs Cycle
Also known as the Citric Acid cycle
Occurs in the mitochondria
You also don’t need to know each
of the reactions here…
Electron Transport Chain
I’m not even going to show you a diagram…
Needs oxygen
Is the last stage of cellular respiration
Releases the vast majority of the energy of
cellular respiration
Occurs in the mitochondria
Anaerobic Respiration
Glycolysis does not require oxygen
In the absence of enough oxygen, pyruvate transport into the mitochondria is blocked (too much
pyruvate inside reverses the concentration gradient).
Pyruvate in the cytosol is transformed into lactic acid
Lactic acid is painful in muscles!
Oxygen Debt and Recovery Oxygen
Lactic Acid is removed from muscle cells by the blood stream and transported back to the liver
Liver will turn it back into pyruvate but turning it back into pyruvate requires oxygen
While there is lactic acid in the body that must be converted back to pyruvate, the body is said
to be in an oxygen debt
Recovery oxygen is the oxygen required that will ‘repay’ that debt
Compare and Contrast
Common exam question…
◦ Compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic respiration