Energy and Respiration

Energy and food

The amount of energy available from a certain food is sometimes called its calorific value The average adult requires about 8400 Kilojoules (2000 kcal) of energy per day An adult male undertaking heavy physical labor may require as much as 14,700 kilojoules (3500 kcal) Carbohydrates, proteins and fats make up most of the human diet. The idea ratio should be approximately 60% to 30% to 10% respectively Carbohydrates are the most readily available source of energy Fats which are non-oxidized provide the most energy per mass
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Energy and food

The body does not burn food but nevertheless it is converted to the same set of products (CO2 and H2O) through a series of oxidation reactions. Since Hess law shows that the energy change is independent of the pathway, the same amount of energy is released through burning food.

The Bomb Calorimeter

The calorific value of a candy bar is about 250 Dieticians Calories or 250 kilocalories) This means that if it were burned in a calorimeter, the energy produced on combustion would raise the temperature of 2.5 kg water by 100C assuming that the calorimeter itself does not absorb any energy. In most cases the energy absorbed by the calorimeter cannot be ignored and must be included in the calculations.

A diagram of a bomb calorimeter 4

The Bomb Calorimeter

A bomb calorimeter is often used to measure the energy content of food. The calorific value of food can be measured by heating a pre-measured mass of food and igniting it in an oxygen atmosphere. The heat is transferred to a water system and the heat evolved is computed from the temperature change and the mass of water
A diagram of a bomb calorimeter

The Bomb Calorimeter

A large candy bar weighs 50 g. If a 5.00 g sample of the candy bar, on complete combustion raises the temperature of 500 g water in a glass container by 59.6C. Calculate the calorific value of the candy bar. The heat capacity of the glass calorimeter is 20.9 cal C-1
A diagram of a bomb calorimeter 6

The Bomb Calorimeter

A large candy bar weighs 50 g. If a 5.00 g sample of the candy bar, on complete combustion raises the temperature of 500 g water in a glass container by 59.6C, calculate the calorific value of the candy bar. The heat capacity of the glass calorimeter is 20.9 cal C-1

Heat produced = heat absorbed by water + heat absorbed by calorimeter = (m x C x T)water + (m x C. x T)calorimeter = (500 g x 1.00 cal g-1 C-1 x 59.6 C) + (20.9 cal C-1 x 59.6C) = 25086 calories = 25.09 kcal (produced by 5.0 g of candy bar) = 5.02 kcal g-1
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Respiration
Respiration is crucial function for all living organisms. In general the process of respiration serves two basic purposes
1. The disposal of electrons generated during catabolism 2. The production of ATP.
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Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration involves a set of metabolic processes that occur in the cell to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and waste products Respiration involves catabolic redox reactions. One molecule is oxidized and another is reduced.
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Adenosine Triphosphate

The structure of ATP includes an adenine group, a ribose sugar, and three phosphate groups

Adenosine Triphosphate

Energy released from the catabolic destruction of carbon containing molecules is stored in ATP.

ATP and ADP

Energy is released when a phosphate group is released from ATP resulting in the formation of ADP. The reversible reaction between ATP and ADP acts much like a battery allowing the cell to store and release energy

The conversion of ATP to ADP releases about 30.5 kJ mol-1

Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration

Respiration may be either aerobic or anaerobic Aerobic respiration uses oxygen as its terminal electron acceptor, Anaerobic respiration uses terminal electron acceptors other than oxygen

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Aerobic Respiration
Aerobic respiration requires oxygen A. It involves the break down of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to release energy B. Oxygen is the terminal electron acceptor. C. The overall process of aerobic respiration can be described as:
Glucose + Oxygen Energy + Carbon dioxide + Water

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Aerobic Respiration
The aerobic respiration is a high energy yielding process. Up to 38 molecules of ATP are produced for every molecule of glucose that is utilized. Aerobic respiration takes place in almost all living things. It is easy to get rid of the Carbon Dioxide and excess water; this is excretion (the removal of the toxic waste products of metabolism), and maximum energy is released from the glucose.

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Anaerobic Respiration
Some organisms can respire in the absence of air: this is anaerobic respiration. This does not release so much energy and it produces more toxic waste products. When Oxygen is not available, anaerobic respiration also occurs in humans.

Anaerobic respiration can take place during vigorous exercise, building up lactic acid in muscle tissue. This results in muscle pain and cramping.
The bacteria in milk also produce lactic acid but is an optical isomer of that produced in muscle cramping. Yeasts produce alcohol which is also toxic. Eventually there will be so much alcohol that the yeast cannot survive.

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Anaerobic Respiration
Anaerobic respiration is a special type of respiration, which takes place without oxygen to produce energy in the form of ATP or adenosine tri-phosphate. The process of anaerobic respiration for production of energy can occur in either of the ways represented below: Glucose Energy (ATP) + Ethanol + Carbon dioxide (CO2) Glucose Energy (ATP) + Lactic acid

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Anaerobic Respiration
The process of anaerobic respiration is relatively less energy yielding than aerobic respiration During the alcoholic fermentation or the anaerobic respiration two molecules of ATP (energy) are produced. for every molecule of glucose used in the reaction. Likewise for lactate fermentation 2 molecules of ATP are produced for every molecule of glucose used. Thus anaerobic respiration breaks down one glucose molecule to obtain two units of the energy storing ATP molecules.

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Hemoglobin and Oxygen Transport

The ability of iron to form complexes plays an important in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the hemoglobin of the blood

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Hemoglobin and Oxygen Transport

Hemoglobin is a complex protein. At certain sites within the protein are structures known as porphyrin rings. A Fe2+ ion at the center of the ring attracts and transports oxygen At high oxygen concentrations (as in the lungs) hemoglobin binds to the oxygen molecules which is then carried to the cells.

O2

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Hemoglobin and Oxygen Transport

At high carbon dioxide concentrations as are found at the cell level hemoglobin binds to the carbon dioxide molecules which are then transported back to the lungs where the carbon dioxide CO2 is exhaled

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Hemoglobin and Oxygen Transport

Species such as carbon monoxide and Cyanide poison hemoglobin They attach to the iron more or less permanently, rendering the hemoglobin useless

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Electron Transport
The oxidation of food at the cellular level involves a series of redox reactions involving electron transport These reactions take place + in the mitochondria found inside the cell The enzymes that catalyze these oxidation processes are called cytochromes Cytochromes incorporate porphyrin rings with either a Cu2+ or Fe2+ at the center

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Electron Transport
The cytochrome structure heme group from cytochrome oxidase

Cytochromes contain Cu2+ or Fe3+ ions. The porphyrin ligand contains 4 nitrogen atoms, each of which donates 2 electrons. During each step of the oxidation of glucose: Fe3+ Fe2+ + eor Cu2+ Cu+ + e-

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Electron Transport
The cytochrome structure heme group from cytochrome oxidase.
Oxidation stage of glucose C6H12O6 + 6H2O 6CO2+24H+ +24eFe3+ + e- Fe2+ (Metal ion is reduced) Reduction stage O2 + 4H+ +4e- 2H2O Fe2+ Fe3+ + e- (Metal ion is oxidized) Cu+ Cu2+ + e+

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