Redox Reactions that occur in Metabolic Processes By Nadia Ahmadi

Metabolic Process  Metabolism is the biological processes that a living organism uses to provide energy to sustain life and growth. When your body needs energy, this process breaks down the complex substances that are stored in the cells and releases energy.  The two metabolic processes are anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the phase of metabolism where simple substances are synthesized into complex materials of living tissues, which requires an input of energy. Catabolism is the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones and results in a release of energy.  Most metabolic processes occur through a series of enzyme reactions. These enzyme reactions convert one substance into another for the storage or release of energy. e.g. the oxygen absorbed is accompanied by cellular respiration.

Cellular respiration  Cellular respiration is the process of cell catabolism in which cells turn food into energy, in the form of ATP.  Metabolic processes include cellular respiration where the body processes glucose with oxygen molecules to form carbon dioxide molecules and energy which is preserved by turning ADP and inorganic phosphate into ATP. The resulting energy released by this process is absorbed and used by the body. Carbon dioxide is then released by the lungs through exhalation.  Glucose  energy + other by-products  For cellular respiration : C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2  6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + energy GlucoseThe energy is mostly stored as ATP which can help your muscles contract and grow/divide cells, etc.

Redox Reactions  Redox reaction is a chemical reaction between two substances in which one substance is reduced and the other oxidized.  The substance accepting the electron is said to be reduced and the substance donating the electron is said to be oxidized.  Since reduction and oxidation reactions typically are coupled together, we call these reaction, redox reactions.

Is redox reaction present in cellular respiration?

C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2  6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + energy Oxidized: loss of 4e- / C Reduced: gain of 2e- / O Half – Reactions: C 6  6C e- H +12  6H 2 +1 O 6 + 6O 2 +24e-  6CO O -2 STEPS: 1.Find oxidation numbers 2. Write Half – Reactions 3. State which substance is being oxidized and which is being reduced Since both oxidation and reduction is taking place in cellular respiration, redox reaction is present.

Importance of Redox reactions It is through metabolism that a cell creates energy that is necessary in life to survive. Redox reactions play a major part in this process because each electron that goes through the Electron transport chain goes through a redox reaction, which produces energy in the form of ATP. Without redox reactions, cellular respiration wouldn’t occur either because nothing is being oxidized or reduced and without cellular respiration, the Electron transport chain would stop which means a decrease in energy production. Also glucose breakdown would cease and since cells cannot use water for energy, it can entirely stop glycolysis. Cease of glycolysis can effect the electron transport chain because of lack of oxygen. This prevents the pass on of electron loads because oxygen is the final electron carrier and produces water. If oxygen isn’t available as electron carriers than no water would be formed.

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