Chemical Reactions Inside the Mitochondrion
During the session on January 10 2020 we studied important chemical reactions that are taking place inside the mitochondrion.
Description A moment in time inside a eukaryotic cell. Complex and beautiful, full of action and life. The fluidity of the cytoplasm, the different levels of activity of mitochondria and the communication between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria are the highlights of this image. Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.
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The Krebs Cycle / Citric Acid Cycle / Tricarboxylic Cycle.
This cycle includes a series of chemical reactions used by aerobic organisms to release stored energy via oxidation of Acetyl Co A derived from carbohydrates fats and proteins into ATP and CO2. In addition to that, the cycle provides precursors of certain amino acids as well as the reducing agent NADH that are used in other reactions. Its importance to many biochemical reactions suggests that it was one of the earliest established compounds of the cellular metabolism. In the cytoplasm the Glycolysis Cycle takes place. In it, Glucose is processed to Pyruvate. Pyruvate is processed into Acetyl CoA. Acetyl CoA in the mitochondrion combines with oxaloacetate to give citric acid. Citric acid undergoes oxidation, loses a few carbons in a few stages to produce oxaloacetate.
Then the cycle continues again by combining with Acetyl CoA to produce citric acid. Citrate turns into isocitrate, isocitrate turns into alpha keto glutarate, plus NADH AND CO2. Alpha keto glutarate undergoes oxidation and turns into succinyl Co A, plus NADH and CO2. Succinyl CoA turns into succinate and ATP. Succinate turns into fumarate and FADH2. Fumarate turns into malate. Malate ends the cycle and oxaloacetate plus NADH is produced. The cycle turns twice for each glucose molecule that we eat. In total there are 6 NADH, 2 FADH2, 2 ATP molecules produced. We viewed several videos demonstrating those reactions and the enzymes that are catalyzing them in detail. We also produced a cycle flow chart on paper.