Cellular Respiration and Catabolic Pathways

These flashcards cover key concepts from cellular respiration and related metabolic pathways, including definitions, processes, and comparisons.

What is the main process of cellular respiration?

Cellular respiration is the harvesting of energy in organic molecules.

What is the difference between catabolism and anabolism?

Catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, while anabolism is the building of complex molecules from smaller ones.

What type of reactions are exergonic?

Exergonic reactions release energy into the surroundings and occur spontaneously without added energy.

What type of reactions are endergonic?

Endergonic reactions absorb energy to proceed and require energy input to occur.

What are the two main types of respiration?

Aerobic respiration occurs with O2 and yields many ATP, while fermentation is a partial degradation of sugars that occurs without O2 and yields only a few ATP.

What is the initial step in all respiration processes?

Glycolysis, which breaks down glucose into pyruvate.

Where does glycolysis occur and what does it produce?

Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm and produces 2 pyruvates, 2 NADH, and 4 ATP (net 2 ATP).

What happens to pyruvate if oxygen is present?

Pyruvate is transformed into acetyl-CoA.

What is produced during the citric acid cycle?

The citric acid cycle produces 6 NADH, 2 FADH2, and 2 ATP.

What is the role of NADH and FADH2 in cellular respiration?

NADH and FADH2 donate electrons to the electron transport chain, which generates ATP.

How many ATP molecules are produced from aerobic respiration?

Aerobic respiration produces approximately 32 ATP per glucose molecule.

How does fermentation compare to aerobic respiration in terms of ATP yield?

Fermentation produces 2 ATP per glucose molecule, while aerobic respiration produces 32 ATP.