Question

Short / Long Answer Types :
Write explanatory notes on
(a) Glycolysis, (b) Fermentation, (c) Electron transport system, (d) Oxidative phosphorylation, (e) ATP,
(f) Respiratory quotient

Answer 1

Glycolysis: Glycolysis breaks down glucose and forms pyruvate with the production of two molecules of ATP. This can be used in either anaerobic respiration if no oxygen is available or in aerobic respiration via the TCA cycle which yields much more usable energy for the cell.

Fermentation: the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat. Defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen.

Electron Transport System: A series of complexes that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) reactions, and couples this electron transfer with the transfer of protons (H+ ions) across a membrane.

Oxidative Phosphorylation: the synthesis of ATP by phosphorylation of ADP for which energy is obtained by electron transport and which takes place in the mitochondria during aerobic respiration.

ATP: The Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecule is the nucleotide known in biochemistry as the "molecular currency" of intracellular energy transfer; that is, ATP is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells.

Respiratory Quotient: the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide evolved to that of oxygen consumed by an organism, tissue, or cell in a given time. It is a dimensionless number used in calculations of basal metabolic rate (BMR) when estimated from carbon dioxide production.