Physiological context about ATP

Question 1

How many moles of atp are produced from 1 mole of glucose during oxidative phosphorylation?

Answer 1

• about 32

Question 2

Why do we produce about 32 moles of atp?

Answer 2

this value is a compromise between:
- maximizing ATP yield
- ensuring process is unidirectional

Question 3

Why is ATP Kinetically stable?

Answer 3

• partial resonance character

Question 4

what does ATP act as?

Answer 4

an activated intermediate which allows reactions to occur under physiological conditions and ensures everything is dissolved (solvent capacity)

Question 5

Why is ATP deprotonation a key connection to a change in pH?

Answer 5

When ATP is hydrolyzed, you lose a proton, which means the solution is becoming more acidic.
ATP hydrolysis in muscle cells occurs high in muscle cells, as ATP is used as an energy source for physical activities.

Question 6

How does most lactic acid exist in the body and why?

Answer 6

• lactic acid has a pka of 2.5, which means at a pH of 2.5, you will have 50% in the form of lactate and 50% in the form of lactic acid.
• body’s pH is NOT close 2.5, which means that lactic acid is going to be existing as LACTATE (conjugate base of lactic acid, missing a proton)

Question 7

pKa for OH and for phosphate?

Answer 7

-OH = around 15
P = around 6

Question 8

Why does dissolving CO2 in H2O from cellular respiration also lower pH?

Answer 8

• dissolving CO2 makes carbonic acid, which makes blood more acidic.