细胞生物学双语教案3（线粒体结构与功能）
Mitochondrial Substructure
Mitochondria contain two membranes, separated by a space. Both are the typical \membrane\(railroad track) in structure. Inside the space enclosed by the inner membrane is the matrix. This appears moderately dense and one may find strands of DNA, ribosomes, or small granules in the matrix. The mitochondria are able to code for part of their proteins with these molecular tools. The above cartoon shows the diagram of the mitochondrial membranes and the enclosed compartments.
How are mitochondria organized to be powerhouses?
The food we eat is oxidized to produce high-energy electrons that are converted to stored energy. This energy is stored in high energy phosphate bonds in a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. ATP is converted from adenosine diphosphate by adding the phosphate group with the high-energy bond. Various reactions in the cell can either use energy (whereby the ATP is converted back to ADP, releasing the high energy bond) or produce it (whereby the ATP is produced from ADP).
Steps from glycolysis to the electron transport chain. Why are mitochondria important?
Lets break down each of the steps so you can see how food turns into ATP
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energy packets and water. The food we eat must first be converted to basic chemicals that the cell can use. Some of the best energy supplying foods contain sugars or carbohydrates ...bread, for example. Using this as an example, the sugars are broken down by enzymes that split them into the simplest form of sugar which is called glucose. Then, glucose enters the cell by special molecules in the membrane called “glucose transporters”.
Once inside the cell, glucose is broken down to make ATP in two pathways. The first pathway requires no oxygen and is called anaerobic metabolism. This pathway is called glycolysis and it occurs in the cytoplasm outside the mitochondria. During glycolysis, glucose is broken down into pyruvate. Other foods like fats can also be broken down for use as fuel (see following cartoon). Each reaction is designed to produce some hydrogen ions (electrons) that can be used to make energy packets (ATP). However, only 4 ATP molecules can be made by one molecule of glucose run through this pathway. That is why mitochondria and oxygen are so important. We need to continue the breakdown process with the Kreb’s cycle inside the mitochondria in order to get enough ATP to run all the cell functions.
The events that occur inside and outside mitochondria are diagrammed in the above cartoon. Pyruvate is carried into the mitochondria and there it is converted into Acetyl Co-A which enters the Kreb's cycle. This first reaction produces carbon dioxide because it involves the removal of one carbon from the pyruvate.
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How does the Kreb's cycle work?
The whole idea behind respiration in the mitochondria is to use the Kreb’s cycle (also called the citric acid cycle) to get as many electrons out of the food we eat as possible. These electrons (in the form of hydrogen ions) are then used to drive pumps that produce ATP. The energy carried by ATP is then used for all kinds of cellular functions like movement, transport, entry and exit of products, division, etc. The following explanation is very simple and focuses on only the pathway from pyruvate through the cycle. However, it illustrates the process and its functions.
To run the Kreb's cycle, you need several important molecules in addition to all the enzymes. Consult your text for details about the enzymes themselves. This presentation will focus on the electron donors, carriers and acceptors. First, you need pyruvate, which is made by glycolysis from glucose. Next, you need some carrier molecules for the electrons. There are two types of these: one is called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and the other is called flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD+). The third molecule, of course, is oxygen.
Pyruvate is a 3 carbon molecule. After it enters the mitochondria, it is broken down to a 2 carbon molecule by a special enzyme (see text for more details about the biochemistry of each step). This releases carbon dioxide. The 2 carbon molecule is called Acetyl CoA and it enters the Kreb’s cycle by joining to a 4 carbon molecule called oxaloacetate. Once the two molecules are joined, they make a 6 carbon molecule called citric acid (2 carbons + 4 carbons = 6 carbons). That is where the Citric acid cycle got its name....from that first reaction that makes citric acid. Citric acid is then broken down and modified in a stepwise fashion (see text for details) and, as this happens, hydrogen ions and carbon molecules are released. The carbon molecules are used to make more carbon dioxide and the hydrogen ions are picked up by NAD and FAD (see below). Eventually, the process produces the 4 carbon oxaloacetate again. The reason the process is called a cycle, is because it ends up always where it started....with oxaloacetate available to combine with more acetyl coA.
What is “oxidative phosphorylation”?
First, some basic definitions. When you take hydrogen ions or electrons away from a molecule, you “oxidize” that molecule. When you give hydrogen ions
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细胞生物学双语教案3(线粒体结构与功能).doc
