Mitochondria

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and
related processes to produce the ATP required to perform cellular work.(Campbell
182-9)
Pyruvate, or fatty acids from the breakdown of triglycerides or
phospholipids, pass easily through pores in the outer mitochondrial membrane
made up of a channel protein called porin. The inner membrane is a more
significant barrier and specific transport proteins exist to carry pyruvate and
fatty acids into the matrix. Once inside the matrix, pyruvate and fatty acids
are converted to the two carbon compound acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA). For
pyruvate this involves a decarboxylation step which removes one of the three
carbons of pyruvate as carbon dioxide. The energy released by the oxidation of
pyruvate at this stage is used to reduce NAD to NADH. (185)
The C2 acetyl CoA is then taken into a sequence of reactions known as
Krebs cycle which completes the oxidation of carbon and regenerates an acceptor
to keep the cycle going. The oxidation of the carbon is accompanied by ...

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