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Bioenergetics (4.4)
TOPIC 4 AQA GCSE BIOLOGY

KEY TERMS
Aerobic respiration - A form of respiration that uses oxygen to release energy
from molecules like glucose - represented by the following word equation:
glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide and water

Anaerobic respiration - A form of respiration that releases energy from

molecules lik gucose withoug using oxygen - represented by the following word
equation: glucose → lactic acid

Cellular respiration - An exothermic reaction which is continuously occuring in

living cells

Inverse proportion - A relationship between two values where as one

increases, the other value decreases at the same rate

Limiting factor - A factor that limits the rate of a reaction when there is not
enough of it

Metabolism - The sum of all reactions in a cell or the body

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 Oxygen debt - The amount of extra oxygen the body needs after excercise to
react with the accumulated lactic acid and remove it from the cells

Photosynthesis - An endothermic reaction in which energy is transferred from

the environment to the chloroplasts by light

PHOTOSYNTHESIS - (4.4.1)
PHOTOSYNTHESIS REACTION - (4.4.1.1)
plants are autotrophs - this means they can make their own food using light,
water and carbon dioxide

this is why they are called producers in food chains

photosynthesis is an endothermic reaction in which energy is transferred

from the environment to the chloroplasts by light

the leaves of the plant are where most photosynthesis takes place - in
specialised mesophyll cells which are packed with chloroplasts
containing chlorophyll to absorb as much light energy as possible

the sugars produced by photosynthesis are used to make all the substances
a plant needs, as well as being used in respiration to release energy

carbon dioxide - diffuses into the leaf through the stomata

water - taken up by the roots and transported through the xylem to the
leaves

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 glucose - used to make substances needed by the plant - used in repiration
to release energy

oxygen - diffuses out of the leaf through the stomata - used in respiration

RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS - (4.4.1.2)

factors that affect photosynthesis

temperature - the lower the temp, the less kinetic energy particles have,
resulting in fewer successful collisions occuring over a period of time - at
too high temperatures, the enzymes that control the process of
photosynthesis can be denatured - this reduces the overall rate.

light - the intensity of the light available to the plant will depend on the
amount of energy it has to carry out photosynthesis - the more light a
plant receives, the faster the rate of photosynthesis

the inverse square law shows the relationship between light

intensity and distance

as distance increases, light intensity decreases - this means they are

inversely proportional

light intensity = 1/distance(^2)

carbon dioxide conc. - the more carbon dioxide present, the faster the
reaction can occur

chlorophyll - the number of chloroplasts will affect the rate of

photosynthesis - the more chloroplasts a plant has, the faster the rate of
photosynthesis - the amount can be affected by

diseases

lack of nutrients

loss of leaves

commercial horticulturalists grow their plants in a greenhouse

this means they can control as many of the limiting factors of photosynthesis
as possible

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 USES OF GLUCOSE FROM PHOTOSYNTHESIS - (4.4.1.3)
the glucose produced in photosynthesis may be

used for respiration (both aerobic and anaerobic)

converted to insoluble starch for storage in the stems, leaves and roots

used to produce fat and oil for storage

used to produce cellulose which strengthens cell wall

combined with nitrate ions from the soil to produce amino acids for
protein synthesis

RESPIRATION - (4.1.2)

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 AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION - (4.4.2.1)
exothermic reaction continuously occurring in living cells

the energy transferred supplies all the energy needed for living processes

chemical reactions to build larger molecules (protein synthesis)

movement (muscle contraction)

keeping warm (maintenance of a constant body temp)

passage of nerve impulses

active transport

respiration in cells can take place aerobically (with oxygen) or

anaerobically (without oxygen) to transfer energy

aerobic respiration

GLUCOSE + OXYGEN → CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

aerobic respiration uses oxygen and most of the reaction takes place in the
mitochondria

anaerobic respiration (in animals)

GLUCOSE → LACTIC ACID

this occurs when the body can’t supply enough oxygen for aerobic respiration
- such as during exercise

as the oxidation of glucose is incomplete in anaerobic respiration much less

energy is transferred than in aerobic respiration

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 anaerobic respiration (in plants and yeast)

GLUCOSE → ETHANOL + CARBON DIOXIDE

plants and yeast produce ethanol and carbon dioxide

anaerobic respiration in yeast is called fermentation

fermentation is economically important in the manufacture of bread (CO2

makes dough rise) and alcoholic drinks (as ethanol is a type of alcohol)

COMPARISON AEROBIC ANAEROBIC

OXYGEN needed not needed

GLUCOSE
complete incomplete
BREAKDOWN
carbon dioxide and animal cells: lactic acid yeast: carbon dioxide
PRODUCTS
water and ethanol

ENERGY
a lot a little
RELEASED

RESPONSE TO EXCERCISE - (4.4.2.2)

the human body reacts to the increased demand for oxygen in a number of
ways

the breathing rate and breath volume increase during exercise to

increase the amount of oxygen absorbed into the bloodstream (by
diffusion)

the heart rate increases

if the body cannot supply efficient oxygen, energy supplied to the muscle
comes from anaerobic respiration (incomplete breakdown of glucose
without oxygen)

this releases much less energy and results in the formation of lactic acid as
glucose is incompletely oxidised

an oxygen debt is created after exercising this way

Bioenergetics (4.4) 6
 the body can deal with lactic acid by oxidation to form carbon dioxide
and water

blood flowing through the muscles transports the lactic acid to the liver
where it is converted back to glucose

this is why people still breathe heavily with an increased heart rate

during long periods of exercise, the muscles become fatigued and stop
contracting effectively due to the increased levels of lactic acid

METABOLISM - (4.4.2.3)
metabolism is the sum of all the reactions in a cell or the body

metabolic substrates -

food eaten

digestion and absorption from the small intestine

glucose → in liver and muscle cells → converted into glycogen for

storage

glucose - in all cells → used in respiration to release energy

fatty acids and glycerol → in liver cells → converted into triglycerides

fatty acids and glycerol → in all cells → used to build cell

membranes and used in respiration to release energy

amino acids → in liver cells → excess amino acids broken down into
carboxyl group and amino group

amino group → converted into urea → urea excreted by the

kidneys

carboxyl group → used in respiration to release energy

amino acids → in all cells → used to build proteins - (e.g. enzymes)

use of metabolites

metabolism includes

conversion of glucose to cellulose in plants to strengthen cell walls

Bioenergetics (4.4) 7
 conversion of glucose to glycogen in animals and starch in plants
for storage

formation of lipid molecules from a molecule of glycerol and three

molecules of fatty acids - forms triglycerides - (insulation and
energy storage)

(plants) - the use of glucose and nitrate ions to form amino acids
(synthesise proteins)

glucose is broken down in the process of respiration to release

energy in cells

(animals) - the breakdown of excess proteins to form urea for

excretion

EXAM QUESTIONS / 6 MARK QUESTIONS

Describe how the products of photosynthesis are used by a plant [6 marks]

glucose is the product of photosynthesis

some glucose is used for respiration by the plants cells

starch is built up and stored in the plant’s cells including those of storage organs

starch can be broken down and the glucose used when it is needed - e.g. in
respiration during the germination of seeds

some glucose is converted into amino acids with the help of nitrate ions
absorbed in the soil

amino acids built into proteins

glucose converted into lipids

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