Resource Image

Cellular Respiration and pH: blocking the electron transport chain and its effects on the proton gradient, pH, and ATP production

Author(s): Evdokia Kastanos1, Julie Takacs2, Shannon Dahl3, Padmavathi Tangirala4, Ben Nicholson1, Susan Warner5

1. Montgomery College/Rockville 2. Anne Arundel Community College 3. Howard Community College 4. Montgomery College/Germantown 5. Community College of Baltimore County

1719 total view(s), 526 download(s)

0 comment(s) (Post a comment)

Summary:
This module contains exercises designed to help students describe the stages of cellular respiration and quantify the energy molecules produced. Students will predict the region of higher proton concentration in active mitochondria, calculate pH and…

more

This module contains exercises designed to help students describe the stages of cellular respiration and quantify the energy molecules produced. Students will predict the region of higher proton concentration in active mitochondria, calculate pH and predict pH changes in mitochondrial compartments. Students will also predict the effect of electron transport blockers on the proton gradient, pH, and energy production.
Contents:

Description

This module on cellular respiration is primarily intended for introductory biology for majors and could be completed in one hour.

Students should have prior knowledge of:

  • eukaryotic cell structures, and more specifically the structure of mitochondria, as well as the concept of energy and energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy.
  • the aerobic respiration pathway, its stages, and the energy molecules NADH, FADH2, and ATP.
  • creating and interpreting graphs.

Prior to implementing the module, students should read the cellular respiration chapter and complete the pre-work. The instructor version of the module with keys to the pre-work and the in-class module is provided.

During the module, have students break up into groups of 2-3. The module can be provided as a printed copy or can be completed on a computer. As Cellular Respiration is conceptually a challenging topic for many students, it is critical for the instructor to circulate and assist. Students need more assistance with predicting the effect of electron transport blockers on energy production. Graphs can be drawn on the printed copy or on excel if the module is done on a computer.

This module was developed and implemented as part of the NEXUS Institute for Quantitative Biology (NIQB), which is a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (NSF-IUSE) initiative. NIQB is a collaboration between University of Maryland, Baltimore County (DUE-1821274), Anne Arundel Community College (DUE-1821179), Community College of Baltimore County (DUE-1821249), Howard Community College (DUE-1820903), and Montgomery College (DUE-1821169).

Cite this work

Researchers should cite this work as follows: