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Posted

Thought I would give the up and coming EMT's a little more information on cellular respiration. The following is a link to a web site that give you an easy to understand introduction to glycolysis, TCA/Krebs/citric acid cycle, and the ETS. I was talking with an EMT I student the other night about these cycles and he was very interested to learn more. His text book only had a couple of paragraphs that did not even explain the basics of we make energy, and I even remember a sentence stating that knowing the exact processes were not important at this level. We spent a few hours talking about these cycles and at the end he looked up and stated, "so all of this only explains how you turn ADP into ATP, there must be millions of things going on inside of every single cell." Yep, but this is a start. He ended up finding this site as a resource to help him learn. I hope this will dispel some nasty thoughts people have about cellular respiration.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bi...tion2_rev.shtml

1) You breath in O2 and it is turned into CO2. As you can see, CO2 is produced during the break down of pyruvic acid and O2 is actually used in the ETS and binds with hydrogen to produce H2O.

2)All of this cell stuff is not important. Then all of that airway and shock stuff that we learn must not be important. The reason we need to have an airway and adequate gas exchange along with an intact circulatory system is to ensure cellular respiration takes place.

I hope people find this helpful.

Take care,

chbare.

Posted

Acosell, public education is a little different in the USA. I believe the term "special" describes it quite nicely. :lol:

Take care,

chbare.

Posted

Learn in high school.. hell, I would love for them to learn this in Paramedics school... I personally believe there should be an essay question on the NREMT/P test stating describe the Kreb's cycle in no less than 250 words....

R/r 911

Posted
Just curious, and I mean no disrespect, but did anybody else learn this in highschool?

Covered the basics (input/output for Glycolysis and TCA, function of NADH, FADH2, and ELC) in high school.

Covered step by painful step (inputs, outputs, enzyme [plus structure for the I and O) for each of the steps of glycolysis, TCA, and anaerobic respiration in college (as well as developed a great hate for biochem).

I think that understanding the overall process is important, but I wouldn't expect a paramedic to be able to rattle off each step of the process. Of course, memorizing each step is a good way to gain an understanding of the process. No O2=no ETC=very limited amount of ATP production (net 2 from glycolysis only). Also no O2=anaerobic turnover of NADH=slow down of glycolysis and build up of lactic acid=bad.

Anyone else notice what's wrong with the BBC website?

[spoil:ead62ea1e7] NAD+ is reduced to NADH, not NADH2 as the website states. FADH+ is the coenzyme reduced to FADH2 during TCA.[/spoil:ead62ea1e7]

Posted
Learn in high school.. hell, I would love for them to learn this in Paramedics school... I personally believe there should be an essay question on the NREMT/P test stating describe the Kreb's cycle in no less than 250 words....

R/r 911

Wow glad you dont write the NR TEST......or at least wait til I graduate the program before you do ok RID?

but a good site though

terri

Posted

JPINFV, I thought NAD(+) was reduced to NADH+H (+). Square me away if I am tracking like a pawn shop VCR. :D Perhaps the author wrote NADH2 because he saw H twice?

Side note, when we talk about reduction, we are not talking about reducing or down sizing, we are talking about the chemical reduction. Reduction in chemistry refers to the gaining of an electron during a chemical reaction. The next logical question is electrons are negative and hydrogen is labeled as positive, so how do we gain an electron when we gain hydrogen. Remember, when we talk about H+, the + is used to describe hydrogen as a dissolved ion in our body, what we are actually talking about is the proton of the hydrogen's nucleus which is positive. When we talk about the gaining of an electron we are talking about the electron that orbits the nucleus of hydrogen. Do not want to insult anybodies intelligence, just want to explain some of the terminology we use. Again, if I am tracking like a pawn shop VCR, let me know so I can turn that little dial.

Take care,

chbare.

Posted

ahh oxidation and redudtion... LEO the lion says GER (loosing electrons is oxidation, gaining electrions is reduction)

.... just wrote my grade 12 biology exam... :roll:

(i loooove cellular respiration)

Posted
ahh oxidation and redudtion... LEO the lion says GER (loosing electrons is oxidation, gaining electrions is reduction)

.... just wrote my grade 12 biology exam... :roll:

(i loooove cellular respiration)

I think you need your meds adjusted...This stuff give me migraines!!!

Good luck with that test :wink: 8)

out here,

ACE

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