Question

In a certain prairie community, a dominant prairie grass species has recently been infected with a virus that disrupts one of the electron transport proteins in the chloroplasts of infected cells. 1. Describe the most likely effects on cellular processes (be specific as to which processes and molecules are most likely to be directly affected).

Answer 1

It will affect the release of mitochondrial electrons, the protein transport chain that is responsible for transporting the electrons that are transported to a proton gradient through the mitochondrial inner membrane.

As a consequence, cellular respiration will be affected, since the last phase of this process occurs in the mitochondria.

Step-by-step explanation:

To finish completing the answer ...

The complete breakdown of a glucose molecule in the presence of oxygen is called cellular respiration. The last stages of this process occur in the mitochondria. The high energy molecules NADH and FADH2 -generated by the Krebs cycle- release the electrons to an electron transport chain (proteins that are affected by the virus) to create a proton gradient through the mitochondrial inner membrane . ATP synthase is then used to generate ATP by chemosmosis. This process is known as oxidative phosphorylation and oxygen is the last electronic acceptor in the mitochondrial transport chain.

Chemosmotic phosphorylation is the third and final biological pathway responsible for the production of ATP by inorganic phosphate and ADP through oxidative phosphorylation.

Occurring in the mitochondria of cells, the chemical energy of NADH (produced by the Krebs cycle) is used to build a gradient of hydrogen ions (protons) with a higher concentration in the mitochondrial ridges and a lower concentration in the mitochondrial matrix . This is the only step in oxidative phosphorylation that requires oxygen: it is used as an electron acceptor, combining with free electrons and hydrogen ions to form water.