Oxidative Phosphorylation

Please refer to diagrams of the

electron transport chain in the inner
mitochondrial membrane to “see”
where this is occurring.
 Electron Transport Chain
• Is a collection of molecules embedded in
the inner mitochondrial membrane
• Most are proteins
• They receive electrons (become reduced),
then pass them to the next molecule in the
chain (become oxidized)
• The source of these electrons is NADH
and FADH2
So…How does this make ATP?
• As each molecule in the chain accepts and
then donates electrons, it pumps hydrogen
ions (protons---H+) from the matrix to the
intermembrane space.
• Thus, chemical energy harvested from
food is transformed into a proton-motive
force, a gradient of H+ across the
membrane.
 Why is this important?
• The hydrogen ions flow back, down their
gradient, through a channel in an ATP
synthase (another protein built into the
membrane.)
• As they flow through, they cause part of
the synthase to rotate.
• This activates its catalytic sites where ADP
and inorganic phosphate combine to make
ATP.
 Oxidative Phosphorylation
• This phosphorylation of ADP to make ATP
is called oxidative because it is driven by
the loss of electrons from food molecules.
• The use of a H+ gradient (proton-motive
force) to transfer energy from redox
reactions to cellular work (synthesis of
ATP in this case) is called chemiosmosis.