Biology, Eighth Edition (Raven)

Chapter 7: How Cells Harvest Energy

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the value of ATP in biological metabolic reactions.
• Describe two ways in which cells generate ATP and indicate which is a more efficient process.
• Know the location of glycolysis in a generalized eukaryotic cell.
• Understand the differences in the glycolytic reaction under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.
• Describe glycolysis in general terms, including the molecules that exist at its start and its end, as well as its net versus total ATP production.
• Understand the mechanisms that recycle postglycolytic NADH molecules under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.
• Explain why the electron-carrier molecule produced in glycolysis and the two kinds of molecules produced in the Krebs cycle differ from one other in the number of ATP each generates.
• Compare the overall energy efficiency of the complete aerobic degradation of one molecule of glucose with the efficiency of the glycolytic process alone.
• Understand how proteins and fats are metabolized.
• Compare the number of ATPs produced in the degradation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
• Describe alcoholic fermentation in terms of electron acceptors, ATP yield, and end products.
• Explain the process of anaerobic respiration as it occurs in human muscle.
• Describe the 6 major innovations that highlight the evolution of metabolism.