BCMB 308: BIOENERGETICS

Overview of chemical thermodynamics: Internal, energy, enthalpy, entropy, Gibb’s free energy, laws of thermodynamics; Spontaneous and non-spontaneous processes; Free energy changes in biochemistry.

Principles of thermodynamics and their application to the energetics of the cell: Redox systems, electron donors and acceptors, redox couples, redox potentials, electromotive force, protonmotive forces.

The concept of high energy compounds: phosphoric acid anhydrides, phosphoric-carboxylic acid anhydrides, phosphoguanidines, enolphosphates and thiol esters; basis for the high standard free energy of hydrolysis; the central role of ATP; (phosphate) group transfer potentials; substrate-level phosphorylation; energetics of coupled reactions.

ATP synthesis: review of structure of mitochondrion and chloroplast; sources of energy; redox complexes for electron transport in mitochondria and in chloroplasts; establishment of proton gradients; coupling of ATP synthesis to dissipation of proton gradient; H⁺  -ATPase; couplers (thermogenesis).  ATP utilization for the performance of cellular work; active membrane transport and mechanical work such as muscle contraction.