Talk:Cellular respiration
From Academic Kids
Original author's note
This page's content comes from what I've learned in high school biology. Some of it may be incorrect. Also, I'm guessing that there's just a little more that could be added. By all means, do so (of course, that's what the 'pedia is all about). --bdesham
Table / flow chart
I've added a basic diagram covering the subprocesses of aerobic respiration.I've done it as a table rather than uploading the whole thing as a .png so that others can easily modify the info. However looking at the edit page the table looks complicated and offputting. If anyone wants to amend the content of the diagram but is put off editing the table by all the ugly HTML by all means let me know on my talk page and I will edit the table for you. Theresa knott 13:56 6 Jun 2003 (UTC)
- Yeah, that table is kinda offputting. I've made a flow chart in PNG format; if anyone needs/wants to change it, visit User Talk:Bdesham and say so. --bdesham 19:43 9 Jun 2003 (UTC)
Incorrect number of ATP?
I wasn't going to say anything, since my knowledge is limited to high school bio, but when I see this page was also made with that knowledge...we were taught a net gain of 36 ATP, not 38...perhaps you forgot to subtract the 2 used in glycolysis? EDIT: In fact, the glycolysis article agrees with me--kreb's and the ETC makes 34 ATP/glucose. 24.218.58.113 19:39, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC). Further edit: the previous was me, I am a new user. After referencing my biology textbook, the real answer (I believe) is that 38 ATP is the *optimal* gain, generally not realized due to such losses as the energy needed to move pyruvate into the mitochondria. I will make a minor edit to reflect this; please correct me if this is the wrong action. Endersdouble 19:47, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)
- Hmm... looking back at my notes from HS Biology, they say that the total gain of ATP from glycolysis and aerobic respiration is 38 (2 from glycolysis and 36 from aerobic respiration). I googled for "cellular respiration", though, and I found [1] (http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CellularRespiration.html). If you look under the "How many ATPs?" section, it says that the theoretical total is 38, but that due to conditions the number rarely exceeds 30. I'll look into this more when I have time. Cheers! --bdesham 19:49, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)
This is how it work: In vitro (in a test tube with every ezymers, substrates at the right conditions), a biochemist can make 38 molecues of ATP from a molecule of glucose. However, in a eucaryotic cell, Glycolysis (which produces ATP and NADH)occurs in the cytoplasm while respiration (and the recycling of NADH) occurs inside the mitochomdria. And this is the problem: -- All the NAD in the cytoplasm would become NADH and glycolysis will stop due the the lack of NAD; Therefore, NADH in the cytoplasm must be transported into the mitochondria to unload its protons and electons (i.e NADH--> NAD). This transporting cost 2 ATP; thereforem in eucaryotes, we said they produce 36 ATP. However, these type of calculation is meaningless-- If all glucose are committed to produce ATP and CO2, all living organisms will be the same- pails of ATP! The fact is, a cell will not produce a single molecue of ATP more than it need.
