Metabolic Pathways and ATP Production

Flashcards created to review key concepts from the lecture on metabolic pathways and ATP production.

What is metabolism?

The sum of all chemical reactions that provide energy and substances needed for growth.

What are catabolic reactions?

Reactions that break down large, complex molecules to provide energy and smaller molecules.

What are anabolic reactions?

Reactions that use ATP energy to build larger molecules.

What are the three stages of catabolism?

1: Digestion and hydrolysis of large molecules; 2: Degradation to two- and three-carbon compounds; 3: Oxidation in the citric acid cycle and electron transport.

Where does glycolysis occur?

In the cytoplasm of the cell.

What is the overall yield of ATP from glycolysis?

A net gain of two ATP and two NADH.

What is produced when pyruvate is converted under aerobic conditions?

Acetyl CoA and CO2.

What happens to pyruvate under anaerobic conditions?

It is converted to lactate.

What is the main function of the citric acid cycle?

To oxidize acetyl CoA to produce NADH, FADH2, and ATP.

What is the role of NAD+ in metabolic pathways?

It acts as a coenzyme that accepts electrons and hydrogens in oxidation-reduction reactions.

What is oxidative phosphorylation?

The process of synthesizing ATP using the energy generated from the electron transport chain.

How much ATP is produced from the oxidation of one NADH?

2.5 ATP.

What are ketone bodies, and when do they form?

Ketone bodies are produced from acetyl-CoA when carbohydrates are not available, such as in starvation or uncontrolled diabetes.

What is the urea cycle?

A series of reactions that converts toxic ammonium ions from amino acid degradation into urea for excretion.

What is beta-oxidation?

The process by which fatty acids are broken down in the mitochondria to produce acetyl-CoA.

What is the net ATP yield from the complete oxidation of one glucose molecule?

Approximately 32 ATP.

What happens to amino acids when carbohydrates and lipids are scarce?

They can be used for energy, converting their carbon skeletons into intermediates of the citric acid cycle.

How does the body utilize fatty acids for energy?

Through beta-oxidation, which converts fatty acids into acetyl-CoA that can enter the citric acid cycle.