Why are each of the following important to cellular respiration? ( What role does each one play?) Pyruvate, NADH and ATP synthase. Justify your answer.

Answer 1

A short answer would be 'source, transport, conversion'. Let's look at what that means. We all 'know' that sugar is a fuel source, but why? WHERE is the energy in glucose? It turns out it's the electrons, or more correctly, in the state of the electrons. Electrons in C-H bonds are more energetic than those in O-H or C-O bonds, and sugar has many C-H bonds (and thus many energetic electrons). Pyruvate is just a 'piece' of glucose, so still has most of the energetic electrons from glucose.

To 'extract' or harvest the energy of electrons, they need to be taken to the mitochondria, which is basically a factory housing the machinery to harvest electron-power. NADH is 'given' some of the energetic electrons that are ripped from pyruvate (this is a multi-step process; pyruvate is broken into acetyl-CoA, and then electrons are pulled out during the Krebs/Citric Acid/TCA cycle). NADH then delivers these charged-up electrons to the electron transport chain.

The purpose of the electron transport chain is to CONVERT the 'power' of the electrons into a different kind of power--crowded protons all on one side of a mitochondrial membrane.

ATP synthase is like a waterwheel, except that instead of water, PROTONS flow through it, and the flow of protons drives the synthesis of ATP through the combining of ADP and phosphate. ATP synthase sits in a mitochondrial membrane and in order to get to the 'low concentration' side, protons must flow THROUGH ATP synthase, thus driving its internal 'wheel' and powering the synthesis of ATP

Answer 2

Pyruvate, NADH, and ATP synthase are products of glycolysis. Glycolysis helps break down sugar to produce energy in the form of Pyruvate, NADH, and ATP synthase. For every one molecule of glucose, it breaks down into two pyruvate. NADH and FADH2 give their electrons to proteins in the electron transport chain, which ultimately pump hydrogen ions into the intermembrane space. ATP synthase is an enzyme that creates the energy storage molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

here is a source to try