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The inner mitochondrial membrane thus represents the principal site of ATP generation, and this critical role is reflected in its structure. The energy derived from these electron transfer reactions is converted to potential energy stored in a proton gradient across the membrane, which is then used to drive ATP synthesis.
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The high-energy electrons from NADH and FADH 2 are transferred through a series of carriers in the membrane to molecular oxygen. Most of the energy derived from oxidative metabolism is then produced by the process of oxidative phosphorylation (discussed in detail in the next section), which takes place in the inner mitochondrial membrane. The oxidation of acetyl CoA to CO 2 is coupled to the reduction of NAD + and FAD to NADH and FADH 2, respectively. Acetyl CoA is then oxidized to CO 2 via the citric acid cycle, the central pathway of oxidative metabolism. Pyruvate and fatty acids are imported from the cytosol and converted to acetyl CoA in the mitochondrial matrix. Metabolism in the matrix of mitochondria. The enzymes of the citric acid cycle (located in the matrix of mitochondria) thus are central players in the oxidative breakdown of both carbohydrates and fatty acids. The oxidation of fatty acids also yields acetyl CoA (see Figure 2.36), which is similarly metabolized by the citric acid cycle in mitochondria. This involves the initial oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl CoA, which is then broken down to CO 2 via the citric acid cycle (see Figures 2.33 and 2.34). Pyruvate is then transported into mitochondria, where its complete oxidation to CO 2 yields the bulk of usable energy (ATP) obtained from glucose metabolism. The initial stages of glucose metabolism ( glycolysis) occur in the cytosol, where glucose is converted to pyruvate (see Figure 2.32). As discussed in Chapter 2, the oxidative breakdown of glucose and fatty acids is the principal source of metabolic energy in animal cells. The matrix contains the mitochondrial genetic system as well as the enzymes responsible for the central reactions of oxidative metabolism ( Figure 10.2). Folds of the inner membrane (cristae) extend into the matrix.
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Mitochondria are bounded by a double-membrane system, consisting of inner and outer membranes.