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By the end of this section, you will be able to:
  • Describe how electrons move through the electron transport chain and what happens to their energy levels
  • Explain how a proton (H + ) gradient is established and maintained by the electron transport chain

In the last module we discussed the various ways cells synthesize ATP and had a detailed discussion on substrate level phosphorylation. The second primary mechanism for ATP and energy formation is by oxidative phosphorylation. First and foremost, oxidative phosphorylation does not imply the use of oxygen, it can, but it does not have to use oxygen. It is called oxidative phosphorylation because it relies on red/ox reactions to generate a membrane potential that can then be used to do work. One of the "machines" that can be driven by the membrane potential, also referred to as the proton motive force or PMF , is the F 1 F 0 ATPase . Unlike SLP, which directly synthesizes ATP, Oxidative Phosphorylation is an indirect mechanism. It is derived from a process that begins with moving electrons through a series of electron transporters or carriers that undergo red/ox reactions. The energy released from these reactions leads to the movement of protons across a membrane. This accumulation of protons on ones side of the membrane "polarizes" or "charges" the membrane, with a net positive (protons) on one side of the membrane and a negative charge on the other side of the membrane. this is called an electrical potential due to the charge separation. In addition, the accumulation of protons also causes a pH gradient to form across the membrane and is referred to as the chemical potential . Together this is called an electro-chemical gradient across the membrane. Think of this as a cellular capacitor, as the charge and pH gradient grows more and more energy is stored and can be used to do work, such as driving the F 1 F 0 ATPase and generating ATP indirectly.

Below the basic concepts of oxidative phosphorylation are described. Remember for ATP synthesis to occur two criteria must be met, the first is the formation of the membrane potential via a series of red/ox reactions, referred to as an electron transport chain and second, a membrane bound, proton driven F 1 F 0 ATPase, that uses the potential energy from the PMF to drive the formation of ATP by allowing protons to move from the higher concentration on one side of the membrane to the other side of lower concentration. Nowhere is molecular oxygen required for this to happen. Oxygen is a terrific terminal electron acceptor and allows for a very efficient way to generate a large PMF, however, other compounds such as hydrogen sulfide can also act as terminal electron acceptors. The eukaryotic mitochondrion has evolved an incredibly efficient electron transport chain to maximize ATP production for every 2 high energy electrons that enter the chain. While this mitochondrial electron transport chain is what we (eukaryotes) use, the diversity of the electron transport chain in nature is one of the most amazing features of life on this planet. Think about all of the unique and inhospitable places there are on this planet, yet some form of life can survive there. It makes one think about the possibility of life on other worlds. Remember all that is required is a donor of high energy electrons, carriers to move the electrons by red/ox reactions in a membrane, and a terminal electron acceptor. As we will discuss below, as long as the terminal electron acceptor has a higher affinity for the electrons than the electron donor, the electrons will move, and the energy can be captured by the cell.

Questions & Answers

physiological Psychology
Nwosu Reply
How can I develope my cognitive domain
Amanyire Reply
why is communication effective
Dakolo Reply
Communication is effective because it allows individuals to share ideas, thoughts, and information with others.
effective communication can lead to improved outcomes in various settings, including personal relationships, business environments, and educational settings. By communicating effectively, individuals can negotiate effectively, solve problems collaboratively, and work towards common goals.
it starts up serve and return practice/assessments.it helps find voice talking therapy also assessments through relaxed conversation.
miss
Every time someone flushes a toilet in the apartment building, the person begins to jumb back automatically after hearing the flush, before the water temperature changes. Identify the types of learning, if it is classical conditioning identify the NS, UCS, CS and CR. If it is operant conditioning, identify the type of consequence positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment
Wekolamo Reply
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Wekolamo
because it helps many people around the world to understand how to interact with other people and understand them well, for example at work (job).
Manix Reply
Agreed 👍 There are many parts of our brains and behaviors, we really need to get to know. Blessings for everyone and happy Sunday!
ARC
A child is a member of community not society elucidate ?
JESSY Reply
Isn't practices worldwide, be it psychology, be it science. isn't much just a false belief of control over something the mind cannot truly comprehend?
Simon Reply
compare and contrast skinner's perspective on personality development on freud
namakula Reply
Skinner skipped the whole unconscious phenomenon and rather emphasized on classical conditioning
war
explain how nature and nurture affect the development and later the productivity of an individual.
Amesalu Reply
nature is an hereditary factor while nurture is an environmental factor which constitute an individual personality. so if an individual's parent has a deviant behavior and was also brought up in an deviant environment, observation of the behavior and the inborn trait we make the individual deviant.
Samuel
I am taking this course because I am hoping that I could somehow learn more about my chosen field of interest and due to the fact that being a PsyD really ignites my passion as an individual the more I hope to learn about developing and literally explore the complexity of my critical thinking skills
Zyryn Reply
good👍
Jonathan
and having a good philosophy of the world is like a sandwich and a peanut butter 👍
Jonathan
generally amnesi how long yrs memory loss
Kelu Reply
interpersonal relationships
Abdulfatai Reply
What would be the best educational aid(s) for gifted kids/savants?
Heidi Reply
treat them normal, if they want help then give them. that will make everyone happy
Saurabh
What are the treatment for autism?
Magret Reply
hello. autism is a umbrella term. autistic kids have different disorder overlapping. for example. a kid may show symptoms of ADHD and also learning disabilities. before treatment please make sure the kid doesn't have physical disabilities like hearing..vision..speech problem. sometimes these
Jharna
continue.. sometimes due to these physical problems..the diagnosis may be misdiagnosed. treatment for autism. well it depends on the severity. since autistic kids have problems in communicating and adopting to the environment.. it's best to expose the child in situations where the child
Jharna
child interact with other kids under doc supervision. play therapy. speech therapy. Engaging in different activities that activate most parts of the brain.. like drawing..painting. matching color board game. string and beads game. the more you interact with the child the more effective
Jharna
results you'll get.. please consult a therapist to know what suits best on your child. and last as a parent. I know sometimes it's overwhelming to guide a special kid. but trust the process and be strong and patient as a parent.
Jharna
what is learning? discuss how any three scholars propounded on how learning is
Grace Reply
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Source:  OpenStax, Ucd bis2a intro to biology v1.2. OpenStax CNX. Sep 22, 2015 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11890/1.1
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