Cellular Respiration:
Step 1: Glycolysis
Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration.
During this process, a six-carbon glucose molecule is broken down into two
separate three-carbon molecules called pyruvate. These pyruvate molecules are carried
into the cell's mitochondrion to be used as reactants in the Krebs cycle.
Glycolysis uses energy from two ATP molecules to get started but ends up
producing four ATP molecules. This means there is a net gain of two ATP
molecules for each molecule of glucose that is broken down in this stage of
cellular respiration. For each molecule of glucose processed in glycolysis, two
pairs of high-energy electrons are released. Each NAD+ molecule accepts and
electron pair, forming two NADH molecules. These electron carriers transport
the high-energy electrons into the mitochondrion to be used in the third stage
of cellular respiration, the electron transport chain.
Step 2: Krebs Cycle
If oxygen is present, each pyruvate molecule produced during
glycolysis will enter the mitochondrion. This process does not need oxygen as a
reactant, but it will occur without the presence of oxygen. First, the
three-carbon pyruvate molecule is broken down into a two-carbon molecule. In
the process, one carbon dioxide, (CO2) is released and one NADH
molecule is formed. The two-carbon molecule bonds to coenzyme A, forming
acetyl-CoA, in preparation of entering the Krebs Cycle. This equation
summarizes the breakdown of two pyruvate molecules before entering the Krebs
cycle:
2 pyruvate->2 NADH + 2 CO2 + 2 Acetyl-CoA
Each acetyl-CoA molecule enters the Krebs Cycle where is
participates in a series of reactions with other organic compounds as it is
broken down into carbon dioxide. In the first step of the Krebs Cycle, the
two-carbon fragment from the acetyl-CoA bonds to oxaloacetate, a four-carbon
molecule, to form a six-carbon molecule. When oxaloacetate accepts the
two-carbon fragment at the beginning of the cycle, the six-carbon compound that
is formed is called citric acid. This is the first compound formed in the Krebs
cycle, which is why this cycle is sometimes called the citric acid cycle. Over
the course of the cycle, two more carbon dioxide molecules are released. This
CO2 gas diffuses out of the mitochondrion. This means that the six-carbon
citric acid molecule is broken down to a four-carbon molecule. By the end of
the cycle, the oxaloacetate molecule is re-formed. This means that it is
available to start the Krebs cycle over again with a new acetyl-CoA molecule.
As acetyl-CoA is broken down in the Krebs cycle, the reactions release energy.
Some of that energy forms an ATP molecule, but the majority of the energy is
stored in the electron-carrier molecules NADH and FADH2. These molecules carry
the high-energy electrons to the third stage of cellular respiration, the
electron transport chain, where they will be used to produce more ATP
molecules.
Step 3: Electron Transport Chain
The electron transport chain is made up of three protein
pumps embedded in the inner membrane of a mitochondrion. The NADH and FADH2
formed in the first two steps of cellular respiration transfer the high-energy
electrons to these protein pumps. Energy is released as the electrons are
transferred through the chain of proteins. That energy is used to move positive
hydrogen ions (H+) from the mitochondrion's matrix (the space inside the inner
membrane) to the intermembrane space between the two membranes. The greater
concentration of hydrogen ions in the intermembrane space causes hydrogen ions
to diffuse back into the matrix through a protein called ATP synthase. The ATP
synthase is able to use the diffusion of hydrogen ions to build an ATP
molecule. The flow of ions through the ATP synthase channel produces around 34
ATP molecules. At the end of the electron transport chain, the electrons
combine with hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water molecules. The NAD+ and FAD
molecules are sent back to the cytoplasm and mitochondrial matrix to
participate in future rounds of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle.
There are three stages in cellular respiration. The reaction
is:
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy (ATP and Heat)
In total, glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron
transport chain provide the cell with more than 30 ATP molecules for each
molecule of glucose processed. ATP is then used to power the cell. So for every
bite of food you eat, your body takes the energy and multiplies in thirtyfold!