Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy carrier within cells. ATP is a nucleotide and consists of adenine, a ribose sugar and a triphosphate unit. ATP is “an energy-rich molecule because its triphosphate unit contains two phosphoanhydride bonds” and, a significant amount of energy is released when these bonds are broken1.
Oxidative phosphorylation is a metabolic pathway whereby mitochondria in living cells generate ATP from the oxidation of nutrients. This process involves the transfer of electrons from NADH and FADH2 generated from glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to oxygen as the final electron acceptor to make water. This is known as electron transport chain2. The electron transport chain is carried out by three electron-driven proton pumps—NADH-Q …show more content…
This process is carried out in chlorophyll, a green pigment present in plants, some bacteria and some prostists4. Photosynthesis occurs in two stages, a light-dependent process (light reactions) and a light-independent process (dark reactions). During the light reactions, electrons in chlorophyll a are excited to a higher energy state by sunlight. The energy from the sunlight is converted to ATP and NADH, water is split releasing oxygen as a by-product and the ATP and NADH are used during the dark reaction to make C-C bonds4. During the light-dependent process, an important metabolic pathway occurs known as photophosphorylation occurs whereby energy is converted from a light-excited electron into the pyrophosphate bond of an ADP molecule4. The generation of ATP is carried by ATP synthase like in oxidative phosphorylation. In the dark reactions, CO2 from the atmosphere or water (for aquatic organisms) is converted to carbohydrates by the addition of hydrogen energy in the form of ATP generated from the light
Oxidative phosphorylation is a metabolic pathway whereby mitochondria in living cells generate ATP from the oxidation of nutrients. This process involves the transfer of electrons from NADH and FADH2 generated from glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to oxygen as the final electron acceptor to make water. This is known as electron transport chain2. The electron transport chain is carried out by three electron-driven proton pumps—NADH-Q …show more content…
This process is carried out in chlorophyll, a green pigment present in plants, some bacteria and some prostists4. Photosynthesis occurs in two stages, a light-dependent process (light reactions) and a light-independent process (dark reactions). During the light reactions, electrons in chlorophyll a are excited to a higher energy state by sunlight. The energy from the sunlight is converted to ATP and NADH, water is split releasing oxygen as a by-product and the ATP and NADH are used during the dark reaction to make C-C bonds4. During the light-dependent process, an important metabolic pathway occurs known as photophosphorylation occurs whereby energy is converted from a light-excited electron into the pyrophosphate bond of an ADP molecule4. The generation of ATP is carried by ATP synthase like in oxidative phosphorylation. In the dark reactions, CO2 from the atmosphere or water (for aquatic organisms) is converted to carbohydrates by the addition of hydrogen energy in the form of ATP generated from the light