![]() NAD + is the oxidized form of the molecule NADH is the reduced form of the molecule after it has accepted two electrons and a proton (which together are the equivalent of a hydrogen atom with an extra electron). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) ( Figure 7.2) is derived from vitamin B3, niacin. ![]() These compounds can be easily reduced (that is, they accept electrons) or oxidized (they lose electrons). The principal electron carriers we will consider are derived from the B vitamin group and are derivatives of nucleotides. In living systems, a small class of compounds functions as electron shuttles: They bind and carry high-energy electrons between compounds in pathways. This chapter focuses on the extraction of energy from food you will see that as you track the path of the transfers, you are tracking the path of electrons moving through metabolic pathways. The transfer of energy in the form of electrons allows the cell to transfer and use energy in an incremental fashion-in small packages rather than in a single, destructive burst. The transfer of electrons between molecules is important because most of the energy stored in atoms and used to fuel cell functions is in the form of high-energy electrons. The shift of an electron from one compound to another removes some potential energy from the first compound (the oxidized compound) and increases the potential energy of the second compound (the reduced compound). Rather, the electron is shifted to a second compound, reducing the second compound. The electron (sometimes as part of a hydrogen atom), does not remain unbonded, however, in the cytoplasm of a cell. The removal of an electron from a molecule, oxidizing it, results in a decrease in potential energy in the oxidized compound. Because oxidation and reduction usually occur together, these pairs of reactions are called oxidation reduction reactions, or redox reactions. An oxidation reaction strips an electron from an atom in a compound, and the addition of this electron to another compound is a reduction reaction. Most of these pathways are combinations of oxidation and reduction reactions. Explain how ATP is used by the cell as an energy sourceĮnergy production within a cell involves many coordinated chemical pathways.Discuss the importance of electrons in the transfer of energy in living systems.Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to:
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