Compare how the high-energy electrons produced by the Krebs cycle and Photosystem II convert their energy into ATP production.
- Make sure you point out where the electrons come from and where they eventually end up in both systems.
- What is the resulting ATP used for in each system?
Mitochondria, also known as the powerhouse of the cell is the site of oxidative phosphorylation or the process of electron transport chain. The occurrence of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria was described by Kennedy and Lehninger. This rod-shaped organelle, present in almost all eukaryotic cells, is composed of two membranes resulting in the formation of four compartments.
The outer membrane is connected to the cytoplasm and is freely permeable to small molecules and ions because of the presence of channel proteins called porins. The inner mitochondrial membrane is impermeable to most of the molecules and ions. This layer of mitochondria consists of the respiratory chain (Complex I – IV), ATP synthase, ADP-ATP translocase, and transporter proteins. The inner mitochondrial membrane invaginates many times in the matrix region so as to increase the surface area for the accommodation of many sets of respiratory chains and ATP synthases to store large amounts of energy in the form of ATP. While the mitochondrial matrix possesses many enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle, fatty acid oxidation and amino acid oxidation, metabolic intermediates, mtDNA, ribosomes, and several ions.
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