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Energy Density

The document discusses respiratory substrates and their energy densities. It notes that glucose is the only substrate for some cells, while other cells use a mixture of substrates including fatty acids and amino acid carbon skeletons. Lipids have a higher energy density than carbohydrates because they contain more carbon-hydrogen bonds that can be oxidized to liberate energy. Specifically, the energy densities are 39.4 kJ/mol for lipids, 17.0 kJ/mol for proteins, and 15.8 kJ/mol for carbohydrates. The respiratory quotient is the ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed, with different values for carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

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35 views

Energy Density

The document discusses respiratory substrates and their energy densities. It notes that glucose is the only substrate for some cells, while other cells use a mixture of substrates including fatty acids and amino acid carbon skeletons. Lipids have a higher energy density than carbohydrates because they contain more carbon-hydrogen bonds that can be oxidized to liberate energy. Specifically, the energy densities are 39.4 kJ/mol for lipids, 17.0 kJ/mol for proteins, and 15.8 kJ/mol for carbohydrates. The respiratory quotient is the ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed, with different values for carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Respiratory Substrates

Energy density: the energy value per unit mass.

- Glucose is the only respiratory substrate for neurones, red blood cells, and lymphocytes.
- Other cells respire a mixture of substrates.
Fatty acids are broken down two carbon atoms at a time to form acetyl groups which bind to
CoA and enter the Krebs cycle.

Amino acid carbon skeletons are converted into acetyl CoA and pyruvate.

- Energy values:
Most energy liberated in aerobic respiration comes from the oxidation of hydrogen to water
when reduced NAD and FAD are passed through the ETC. Thus, it follows that the more
hydrogens a substrate can supply per molecule, the higher its energy value.

Lipids have more C-H bonds than carbohydrates so they have a higher energy density.
Energy densities:
- Carbohydrates: 15.8 kJ/mol
- Lipids: 39.4 kJ/mol
- Proteins: 17.0 kJ/mol

- Respiratory quotient: ratio between volume of carbon dioxide given off per unit time and the
volume of oxygen taken in per unit time.

- RQs:
Carbohydrates: 1.0
Lipids: 0.7
Proteins: 0.9
Alcoholic fermentation: ridiculously high
Lactic fermentation: nothing because no CO2 is made.

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