Wednesday 5 December 2012

A2 Biology: Respiration - Oxidative phosphorylation

-On inner mitochondrial membrane known as the cristae


  • Has a series of electron carriers = electron transport chain
  • Each one has a haem group (co factor) which contains iron, Fe.
    (If it's Fe2+ it is reduced ~ gained e- | If it's Fe3+ it's oxidised ~ loss e-)
  1. NADH releases H to the first carrier
  2. First carrier passed H to the second carrier
  3. H now splits into H+ and e- and only the e- is passed on to the net carrier
  4. H+ is pumped into the inter membrane space 
  5. There is now a high concentration of H+ in intermediate slate = protein motive force/electrochemical gradient
  6. H+ diffuses through the stalked particle which acts as a channel protein of hydrogen ions back into the matrix
  7. H+ are back in matrix they recombine with their e- to form an Hydrogen atom.
  8. H combines with O2 (which we breathe in) to form H2O hich is a waste product of respiration
  • Enzyme involved - cytochrome oxidase
  • Oxidose phosphorylation is making ATP using oxygen therefore involves electron transport chain
  • Chemiosmosis - making ATP as H+ diffuse through stalked particle

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