chemiomosis steps

• 1. hydrogen atoms from reduced NAD and reduced FAD are released and split into protons and electrons
  2. protons go into the mitochondrial matrix
  3. reduced FAD and NAD reoxidised to be reused
  4. an electron carrier protein in the electron transport chain has an iron ion core which can gain and then donate an electron along the chain
• 5. the electron carrier proteins have coenzymes that use some of the energy from the electron donations to pump protons from the matrix into the intermembrane space.

  6. the protons accumulate in the intermembrane space creating a gradient - chemiosmotic potential or proton motive force is used to make ATP

  -outermembrane = low permeability to protons

  -inner membrane = impermeable to protons

  7. protons diffuse through protein channels associated with the ATP synthase enzyme which causes conformational change
• last step

  • oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor and combines with hydrogen (protons) from the diffusing through the ATP synthase channel to form water
  • 4H+ + 4e- + O2 -> 2H2O