Question

How do the high-energy electrons of activated carriers contribute to forming the high-energy phosphate bonds of ATP? Choose one:

A. They are transferred directly to ADP to form ATP.
B. They are passed to ATP synthase to power ATP synthesis.
C. They are pumped across the membrane to form an electron gradient.

Answer 1

The high-energy electrons establish a proton gradient that powers ATP synthase to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate through chemiosmosis during oxidative phosphorylation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The high-energy electrons of activated carriers contribute to forming the high-energy phosphate bonds of ATP primarily through the process of oxidative phosphorylation. This process begins by transferring the high-energy electrons through a series of electron carriers, establishing an electrochemical gradient by accumulating protons (H+) on one side of the mitochondrial membrane. This gradient is then harnessed by a protein complex known as ATP synthase, which uses the energy derived from the flow of protons back across the membrane to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi). This flow of protons through ATP synthase is called chemiosmosis, and it powers the catalytic action of ATP synthase to add a third phosphate group to ADP, forming ATP.