Chp 7

Aerobic and Anaerobic Forms of

Metabolism

Exercise and energy

Energy is needed for all exercises
ATP, the most important molecule carrying
small amount but is not
energy, can be stored in
exchange need to be made on a constant

Mechanisms of ATP production

4 major sets of
reactions in aerobic
catalysis:
Glycolysis
Krebs cycle
Electron transport
chain (ETC)
Oxidative
phosphorylation

All 3 major categories

of food can be
degraded through
these processes

Electron transport chain

Net results from glycolysis and

Krebs cycle
Glycolysis:
1 glucose + 2 ADP + 2 NAD + 2 P
2 pyruvic acid + 2 ATP + 2 NADH+ + 2 H2O

Krebs cycle
2 pyruvic acid + 6 NAD + 2 FAD
8 NADH+ + 2 FADH + 2 GTP + 6 CO2

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

NADH+ + ADP + O2 NAD + 3 ATP + H2O
FADH + ADP + O2 FAD + 2 ATP + H20

Oxidative phosphorylation
ADP + Pi ATP

 P/O ratio = expresses the yield of ATP formation by

oxidative phosphorylation (OP) per atom of O 2 reduced to
H 2O
If complete coupling between ETC and OP: 3 ATP formed
If completely uncoupled: 0 ATP
During uncoupling, NAD and FAD are formed but instead of
ATPs formed, heat is produced used by mammals to
produce heat during cold seasons and a mean to control
weight.
Max of 34 ATPs from OP
Additional ATPs from substrate phosphorylation
Total ATPs = 40-2 = 38

Consequences of O2 deficiency
Lack of O2 ETC becomes
fully reduced and is blocked
no ATP, no NAD and FAD
regenerations
Some tissues can generate
some ATP without O2
anaerobic glycolysis
Formation of lactic acid and
regeneration of NAD
Muscles can do that, not
brain
Net production of 2 ATP /
glucose

 Mammalian brains
use ATP much faster
than can be produced
anaerobically
these brains must
have O2!
If no ATP Na+ K+
pump, Ca++ pump do
not function
neurons destroyed

Fates of catabolic end-products

Aerobic glycolysis:
Glucose is fully degraded
CO2 + H2O production
respiration
Anaerobic end-products:
lactic acid:
molecule still rich in energy
wasteful to eliminate
But too toxic to retain in large
amount
Anaerobic conditions are
usually short possibility to
use lactic acid later

 Vertebrates can
metabolize lactic acid
Gluconeogenesis
(6 ATP + O2 used)
Or full oxidation to CO2
+ H2O and 36 ATP
formation

Steady / Non-steady state

Steady-state mechanism of ATP production if:

1. ATP produced as fast as it is used

2. uses raw materials no faster than it is replenished
3. chemical by-products voided as fast as produced
4. cell remains in homeostatic equilibrium

Non-steady state:
ATP is consumed faster than it is produced
Wastes are accumulating faster than they can be
eliminated
Ex: phosphagen system

Patterns of Energy Use

Sustained or short
burst
Mild or Strenuous

Patterns of Energy Use

During sustained exercise:
- ATP is consumed
- when the ATP stores are down, use of
the phosphagen compounds
- creatinine phosphate found in vertebrate
muscle,
- arginine phosphate in invertebrates
Then, ATP is aerobically synthesized from
fatty-acids and/or glucose
-

Muscles are especially geared to use fattyacids derived from fat (triglycerides
through b-oxidation in the liver)
Glucose is used or synthesized from
glycogen reserves

 Aerobic ATP synthesis

needs.. O2!
If the exercise is
strenuous, the O2 store
might not be adequate to
support this synthesis
Then, the body has no
choice but to turn to
anaerobic glycolysis
less efficient ATP
synthesis + lactic acid
accumulation

Muscle fatigue and return to resting

state
Many causes:
Lack of O2 in the
muscle or in the blood
Lack of glucose or
glycogen store
Accumulation of lactic
acid
Accumulation of
calcium ions in
inappropriate cell
compartments

Mechanisms of ATP production and

use
Mechanisms
of ATP
production

Mode of
operation

ATP yield

ATP rate - ATP rate - Return to

production production normal
at onset

Aerobic
catabolism
using preexisting O2

Non steady

Small

Fast

High

Fast

Aerobic
catabolism

Steady

High

Slow

Moderate

------

Phosphagen
use

Non steady

Small

Fast

High

Fast

Anaerobic
glycolysis

Non steady

Moderate small

Fast

High

Slow

Muscle fiber types

Slow oxidative (SO)
Rich in mitochondria
High level of enzymes
involvd in oxidative
pathways
Muscle rich in blood
vessels and myoglobin
red color

Fast glycolytic (FG)

Rich in ATPase
Less blood vessels,
mitochondria white
color

Uses of energy in animals ??

Birds during migration
Lobsters during escape
behavior (short burst of
tail muscle contraction)
Salmons during
upstream migration
Antelope during
escape run

Response to decreased O2 in
environment
Shut-down
metabolism
dormancy (brineshrimp embryo
Diving animals: dive
long enough to use
O2 store and/or use
anaerobic glycolysis
lactic acid use
must be eliminated
prior to next dive

 Some animals (diving

turtles) can sustain
long periods without
oxygen:
Uses metabolic
depression to maintain
brain tissue integrity
Turtles become
comatose, accumulate
large store of lactic
acid

ATP synthesis under reduced O2

availability
O2 regulation: steady
rate of O2
consumption and ATP
synthesis despite
changing level of O2.
possible only over a
certain range of [O2]
O2 conformity: O2 rate
of consumption falls
with O2 in environment

Water-breathing anaerobes
Uncommon: some clams,
mussels, worms, some
goldfishes buried in
marsh sediments (no O2)
Strategy to survive
anoxia:
metabolic depression
ATP synthesis through
acetic, succinic, proprionic
acids and alanine
synthesis excreted in
environment less acidity

Anaerobiosis in goldfish and

crucian carp
These fishes
synthesize LDH
lactic acid formation
Muscles can convert
lactic acid to ethanol
+ CO2
Consequences?