Textbook Question
Explain the relationship between electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. How do uncoupling proteins 'uncouple' this relationship in brown adipose tissue?
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Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
Freeman7th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9783584863285
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Biology: The Study of Life11
- Ch. 2 - Water and Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life10
- Ch.3 - Protein Structure and Function11
- Ch.4 - Nucleic Acids and the RNA World10
- Ch. 5 - An Introduction to Carbohydrates10
- Ch. 6 - Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells10
- Ch. 7 - Inside the Cell10
- Ch. 8 - Energy and Enzymes: An Introduction to Metabolism10
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation16
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis14
- Ch. 11 - Cell-Cell Interactions14
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle12
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis13
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene32
- Ch. 15 - DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair8
- Ch. 16 - How Genes Work35
- Ch. 17 - Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation16
- Ch. 18 - Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria19
- Ch. 19 - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes17
- Ch. 20 - The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology, Genomics, and New Frontiers23
- Ch. 21 - Genes, Development, and Evolution13
- Ch. 22 - Evolution by Natural Selection17
- Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes13
- Ch. 24 - Speciation15
- Ch. 25 - Phylogenies and the History of Life13
- Ch. 26 - Bacteria and Archaea17
- Ch. 27 - Diversification of Eukaryotes19
- Ch. 28 - Green Algae and Land Plants18
- Ch. 29 - Fungi19
- Ch. 30 - An Introduction to Animals9
- Ch. 31 - Protostome Animals20
- Ch. 32 - Deuterostome Animals19
- Ch. 33 - Viruses16
- Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function16
- Ch. 35 - Water and Sugar Transport in Plants16
- Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition13
- Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses16
- Ch. 38 - Flowering Plant Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 39 - Animal Form and Function16
- Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals16
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition16
- Ch. 42 - Gas Exchange and Circulation16
- Ch. 43 - Animal Nervous Systems16
- Ch. 44 - Animal Sensory Systems16
- Ch. 45 - Animal Movement11
- Ch. 46 - Chemical Signals in Animals16
- Ch. 47 - Animal Reproduction and Development18
- Ch. 48 - The Immune System in Animals16
- Ch. 49 - An Introduction to Ecology16
- Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology16
- Ch. 51 - Population Ecology16
- Ch. 52 - Community Ecology20
- Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology16
- Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology16
Chapter 9, Problem 8
The researchers who observed that magnetite was produced by bacterial cultures from the deep subsurface carried out a follow-up experiment. These biologists treated some of the cultures with a drug that poisons the enzymes involved in electron transport chains. In cultures where the drug was present, no more magnetite was produced. Does this result support or undermine their hypothesis that the bacteria in the cultures perform cellular respiration? Explain your reasoning.
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the role of electron transport chains in cellular respiration. Electron transport chains are a series of complexes that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions, and couple this electron transfer with the transfer of protons (H+ ions) across a membrane. This process creates an electrochemical proton gradient that drives the synthesis of ATP, which is the main energy currency of the cell.
Understand the function of the drug used in the experiment. The drug poisons the enzymes involved in the electron transport chains, effectively inhibiting the process of electron transfer and the subsequent production of ATP.
Relate the inhibition of the electron transport chain to the production of magnetite. Magnetite production in bacteria often involves the reduction of iron, a process that can be linked to the electron transport chain activity. If the electron transport chain is inhibited, the bacteria may not be able to reduce iron to form magnetite.
Analyze the experimental results. In the presence of the drug, no magnetite was produced, suggesting that the normal function of the electron transport chain is crucial for the production of magnetite in these bacteria.
Conclude whether the results support or undermine the hypothesis. Since the inhibition of the electron transport chain (a key component of cellular respiration) stops the production of magnetite, this supports the hypothesis that the bacteria perform cellular respiration, using the electron transport chain to drive processes such as magnetite production.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration is a metabolic process in which cells convert nutrients into energy, primarily in the form of ATP, while producing waste products. This process typically involves glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. In bacteria, this can occur anaerobically or aerobically, depending on the organism and environmental conditions.
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Introduction to Cellular Respiration
Electron Transport Chain (ETC)
The electron transport chain is a series of protein complexes located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (or plasma membrane in bacteria) that facilitate the transfer of electrons derived from nutrients. This process generates a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis. Inhibition of the ETC can severely disrupt cellular respiration, leading to reduced energy production and metabolic byproducts.
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Magnetite Production
Magnetite is a magnetic iron oxide produced by certain bacteria as a byproduct of their metabolic processes, often linked to their respiratory activities. The production of magnetite can indicate the presence of specific metabolic pathways, including those involved in electron transport. If magnetite production ceases when the ETC is inhibited, it suggests that the bacteria rely on cellular respiration for its synthesis.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
The researchers who observed that magnetite was produced by bacterial cultures from the deep subsurface carried out a follow-up experiment. These biologists treated some of the cultures with a drug that poisons the enzymes involved in electron transport chains. In cultures where the drug was present, no more magnetite was produced. Does this result support or undermine their hypothesis that the bacteria in the cultures perform cellular respiration? Explain your reasoning.
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Textbook Question
Explain the relationship between electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. How do uncoupling proteins 'uncouple' this relationship in brown adipose tissue?
1896
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Textbook Question
Cyanide (C ≡ N−) blocks complex IV of the electron transport chain. Suggest a hypothesis for what happens to the ETC when complex IV stops working. Your hypothesis should explain why cyanide poisoning in humans is fatal.
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Textbook Question
Early estimates suggested that the oxidation of glucose via aerobic respiration would produce 38 ATP. Based on what you know of the theoretical yields of ATP from cellular respiration, show how this total was determined. Why do biologists now think this amount of ATP per molecule of glucose is not achieved in cells?
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