Brooke Van Egmond

Electron Transport Chain

The Electron Transport chain is a collection of proteins, it helps electrons from NADH and FADH2 to O2. They are organized into four complexes; I to IV. All the electrons that come into the ETC come from NADH or FADH2 molecules produced in the earlier stages glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation and the kreb cycle. NADH's electrons have a very high energy level so they can start off at the beginning of complex I oxidizing into NAD+. It gives two of its electrons to the transport chain, and is passed through the chain. At the end of the cycle it is then accepted by oxygen. When you add protons in it will then produce water. As the electrons pass through each complex they pump out H+ out of the mitochondria matrix into the inter membrane space. A similar process King Henry III is done when FADH is added to complex II. FADH produces to FAD+ and will give off two electrons to the Q enzyme which will then go through the chain.

Chemiosmosis

The protons that are pumped into the membrane space create a gradient. The gradient is sometimes referred to as the proton-motive force. The H+ ions move down the concentration through hydrophilic tunnels, and then move to the ATP synthase. The H+ gradient that is made turns into ATP. This process in which the gradient is used to create ATP is called chemiosmosis.

References

“Oxidative Phosphorylation.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/cellular-respiration-and-fermentation/oxidative-phosphorylation/a/oxidative-phosphorylation-etc.

Boundless. “Oxidative Phosphorylation.” Oxidative Phosphorylation | Boundless Biology, courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/oxidative-phosphorylation/.