BioenergeticsPeter Gräber, Giulio Milazzo Bioenergetics, the topic of volume 5 of this Series, is concerned with the energetics, the kinetics, and the mechanisms of energy conversion in biological systems. This phenomenon can be investigated on diffe rent levels of complexity. On a global level the role of biological pro cesses for the steady state of our enviroment is considered. At the physiological level, the relation between energy input and the physiolo gical state of an organism is of interest, while at the cellular level the biochemical pathways for degradation and synthesis of all relevant substrates is investigated. At present the majority of bioenergetic stu dies pertain to the molecular level. The processes in a cell are cataly zed by a large number of proteins called enzymes. The enzymes in volved in energy transduction can be considered as molecular ma chines which transform energy from one form into another, or transfer energy from one process to another. Living systems operate far from equilibrium and are open in the ther modynamic sense, i. e. they exchange energy and matter with the sur roundings. Chapter 1 presents the principles of non equilibrium thermo dynamics applied to biological systems. About 0. 05% of the energy from the sunlight which reaches the surface of the earth is used by plants and algae as well as some bacteria to synthesize organic com pounds, and thus supplies all organisms with the energy necessary for life. |
Contents
| 4 | |
Global bioenergetics | 57 |
Vectorial bioenergetics | 111 |
Chloroplasts | 253 |
The mammalian mitochondrial respiratory chain | 273 |
Photosystem II and water oxidation in cyanobacteria | 310 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity amino acid anaerobic antenna ATP synthesis ATPase bacteria bacteriorhodopsin binding biochemical bioenergetics biological biomass c₁ carbon catalytic cell chain chemical reaction chemotrophic chlorophyll chloroplasts CO₂ complex concentration constant coupled cyanobacteria cycle cytochrome cytochrome b6 cytochrome oxidase cytoplasm cytosol dehydrogenase efficiency electric electrochemical potential electron acceptor electron donor electron transfer electron transport enzyme equilibrium exciton ferredoxin flow formation free energy function gene glucose H+ ions H₂ H₂O haem heme hydrolysis intermediate involved kJ/mol kth compartment ligand mechanism metabolic mitochondria mitochondrial molecular molecules NAD+ NADH organisms oxidase oxidation oxygen parameters pathway phase phosphate phosphorylation photosynthesis pigment plastoquinone polypeptides potential difference protein proton proton translocation PS-I pump purple bacteria pyruvate quinone reactants reaction center redox centers redox potential redox reaction reduced reductase respiratory Rubisco sequence species stoichiometry structure substrate subunits temperature thermodynamic tion transmembrane ubiquinone uncoupler