#3 Succinate dehydrogenase is the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of succin
ID: 53097 • Letter: #
Question
#3
Succinate dehydrogenase is the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of succinate to fumarate, releasing electrons that are used to reduce FAD to FADH2. If a mutation changed the active site of this enzyme, what do you predict might be the effect on the remaining steps in the citric acid cycle? Would there be any effect on the amount of ATP produced in cellular respiration from 1 molecule of glucose? Increasing concerns about dependence on fossil fuels has generated research and development of renewable fuels, such as ethanol. Ethanol can be produced from grains (for example, corn) or from plant biomass (tree chips and sawdust, composted food waste or paper products). The production of ethanol is an industrial application of fermentation studied in introductory biology laboratories. Using information from your laboratory experiments, propose the components necessary for converting corn to ethanol. (Consider reactants, products, and environmental conditions.) Corn plants store energy as starch, which cannot enter the fermentation pathway directly. Based on your knowledge of the molecular structure of starch, include components necessary to convert starch to simple sugars.Explanation / Answer
3. Corn can be converted to ethanol by the process of fermentation.
The entire corn kernel is ground to powder (flour) and then sluried with water; then various enzymes are added to it to convert the starch in corn to simple sugars like dextrose/ glucose. These simple sugars are then fermented by yeast & thus conversion from sugar to ethanol and carbon dioxide begins.
Reactants: 1. Corn kernel (ground to flour and then mixed with water to form a 'mash')
2. Enzymes like Amylase ( which converts starch to simple sugars)
3. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) - the micro-organism that carries out the fermentation
4. Ammonia (to maintain pH)
Products: 1. Alcohol (ethanol)
2. carbon-dioxide
Environmental Conditions: 1. Anaerobic conditions: provided by a bio-reactor (where fermentation is carried out)
2. Temperature: 28-30 oC (optimum for yeast growth)
3. pH gradually urns acidic, so it is to be maintained by adding apropriate amount of base.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.