Cellular Respiration
By Sidra Hassan
Aerobic Cellular Respiration
• Oxygen required=aerobic
• Consists of two biochemical pathways which
occurs in a specialized structure within the cell
called the mitochondria
1. Krebs cycle
2. Electron transport chain
Aerobic Glycolysis
Source ATP Yield
2 NADH 6 ATP
ATP 4 ATP
total 10 ATP
Source ATP consumed
ATP 2 ATP
Net 10-2= 8 ATP
Anaerobic Glycolysis
Source ATP Yield ATP Consumed Net ATP
ATP 4 2 2
Oxidative Decarboxylation of Pyruvat
e
• Pyruvate from aerobic glycolysis is transported to cross
inner mitochondrial membrane by specific transporter.
• In the matrix, pyruvate is irreversibly decarboxylated by a
multienzyme complex (pyruvate dehydrogenase) to acetyl
CoA
•Component enzymes
• Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is not part of TCA cycle
proper, but is a major source of acetyl CoA.
Coenzymes source
Thiamine Thiamine
pyrophosphate
Component enzymes
Lipoic acid
Pyruvate carboxylase (E1)
CoA Pantothenic acid
Dihydrolipoyl transacetylase (E2)
FAD riboflavin
Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3)
NAD niacin
Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle
• A series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic
organisms to release stored energy through the oxidation
of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins into carbon dioxide and chemical energy in the
form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
• The cycle consumes acetate (in the form of acetyl-CoA)
and water, reduces NAD+ to NADH, and produces carbon
dioxide as a waste byproduct.
Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle
• Also known as Krebs cycle
• TCA cycle essentially involves the oxidation of acetyl CoA
(two carbon compound) to CO2 and H2O.
• TCA cycle –the central metabolic pathway
• It is the final common oxidative pathway for carbohydrates,
fats, amino acids.
• It supplies energy & also provides many intermediates
required for the synthesis of amino acids, glucose, heme
etc.
• Reactions occur in mitochondrial matrix, in close proximity
to the ETC.
• Operates only in aerobic conditions.
Requirement of O2 by TCA cycle
• There is no direct participation of O2 in TCA cycle.
• Operates only under aerobic conditions.
• This is due to, NAD+ & FAD required for the operation
of the cycle can be regenerated in the respiratory
chain only in presence of O2.
• Therefore, citric acid cycle is strictly aerobic.
Energetics of TCA Cycle
• Oxidation of 3 NADH by ETC coupled with oxidative
phosphorylation results in the synthesis of 9ATP.
Source ATP molecules
• FADH2 leads to the formation of 2ATP. 3 NADH 9 ATP
FADH2 2 ATP
•
GTP ATP
• One substrate level phosphorylation. total 12 ATP
• Thus, a total of 12 ATP are produced from one acetyl
CoA molecule.
TCA Cycle Summary Total rxn:
Acetyl-CoA+3NAD ＋ +FAD+GDP+Pi+2H2O→ 2CO2+ 3NADH+
FADH2+GTP+2H ＋ +CoAOne
• Acetyl-CoA through the cycle produces two CO2, one ATP,
four reduced coenzymes
• Two H2O molecules are used as substrates
• Absolutely depends on O2
Electron Transport Chain
• Occurs mitochondria
• A series of reactions where electrons are passed one
membrane-bound protein/enzyme to another
• 34 ATP are formed by this process.
• The final electron acceptor is oxygen.
The oxygen + 2 hydrogen = H20
• Energy-rich molecules, such as glucose, are metabolized by a series of
oxidation reactions ultimately yielding CO2 and water.
• The metabolic intermediates of these reactions donate electrons to specific
coenzymes, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and flavin adenine
dinucleotide (FAD), to form the energy-rich reduced forms, NADH and FADH2.
• These reduced coenzymes can, in turn, each donate a pair of electrons to a
specialized set of electron carriers, collectively called the electron transport
chain (ETC).
• As electrons are passed down the ETC, they lose much of their free energy.
This energy is used to move protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane,
creating a proton gradient that drives the production of ATP from ADP and
inorganic phosphate (Pi).
• The coupling of electron transport with ATP synthesis is called oxidative
phosphorylation, often denoted as OXPHOS.
• It proceeds continuously in all tissues that contain mitochondria.
Membranes of the mitochondrion:
The mitochondrion contains an outer and an inner membrane separated by the
intermembrane space.
• the outer membrane contains special channels (formed by the protein porin), making it
freely permeable to most ions and small molecules,
• the inner membrane is a specialized structure that is impermeable to most small ions,
including protons and small molecules such as ATP, ADP, pyruvate, and other
metabolites important to mitochondrial function. Specialized carriers or transport systems
are required to move ions or molecules across this membrane.
• The inner mitochondrial membrane is unusually rich in protein, over half of which is
directly involved in oxidative phosphorylation.
• It also is highly convoluted. The convolutions, called cristae, serve to greatly increase the
surface area of the inner membrane.
Matrix of the mitochondrion:
• This gel-like solution in the interior of mitochondria is also rich in protein.
• These molecules include the enzymes responsible for the oxidation of pyruvate, amino
acids, and
• fatty acids (by β-oxidation) as well as those of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle.
• The synthesis of glucose, urea, and heme occurs partially in the matrix of
mitochondria.
• In addition, the matrix contains NAD+ and FAD (the oxidized forms of the two
coenzymes that are required as hydrogen acceptors), and ADP and Pi, which are used to produce ATP.
Organization of the Electron Transport Chain
• The inner mitochondrial membrane contains five separate protein complexes,
called Complexes I, II, III, IV, and V. Complexes I–IV each contain part of the ETC.
• These complexes accept or donate electrons to the relatively mobile electron
carriers, coenzyme Q and cytochrome c.
• Each carrier in the ETC can receive electrons from an electron donor and
can subsequently donate electrons to the next acceptor in the chain.
• The electrons ultimately combine with O2 and protons to form water.
• This requirement for O2 makes the electron transport process the respiratory
chain, which accounts for the greatest portion of the body’s use of O2.
Steps
NADH Dehydrogenase
(complex 1)
Succinate dehydrogenase
(complex 2)
Cytochrome bc1 (complex 3)
Cytochrome a+a3(complex 4)
