ASSIGNMENT 02
DUE DATE: 15 SEPTEMBER 2017
UNIQUE NUMBER: 76029608
STUDENT NUMBER: 62449842
Question 1
The general pathways for ATP generation include aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration and fermentation. Aerobic respiration is the most common and the most efficient means of generating ATP. Aerobic respiration can be referred to as the breakdown of glucose molecules in the presence of oxygen and water to release energy in the form of ATP. The other products of this reaction include carbon dioxide and water. The overall equation for aerobic respiration is C6H12O6+6O2+ H2O→ 6CO2 +12H2O+ energy (ATP). During aerobic respiration, there are different stages that occur, these include glycolysis, formation of acetyl-CoA, the tricarboxylic acid…show more content… The first principle which is the construction of large macromolecules from monomers, thus conserving storage capacity, raw material and energy. During catabolic and anabolic reactions, the same enzymes are used, thus saving materials and energy required for biosynthesis. Furthermore, in amphibolic pathways, separate enzymes are used to speed up the reaction of a single step simultaneously. This ensures that both the reactions remain different from each other, regardless of using same enzymes. In order for synthesis of molecules to be efficient, anabolic reactions must function irreparable to biosynthesis and this can be accomplished by linking certain biosynthetic reactions to the oxidation of ATP and other nucleoside triphosphates. Additionally, compartmentation in eukaryotes generally makes it easier for amphibolic pathways to occur simultaneously in different cellular compartments. Anabolic and catabolic pathways use different cofactors, during biosynthesis NADPH usually serves an electron…show more content… It also gives an overview on the laws of thermodynamics and how they are used as a basis in microbial metabolism. Additionally, this module demonstrates the enzymes in a detailed manner including their characteristics, how they are controlled and how they can be altered. Microbiology further focuses on the microbial diversity based on the energy source and electron flow systems. This module is very vital and relevant in terms of health, society, environment and research in relation to South Africa mainly because microbes are primary the main cause for most infections that occur in the country. The infectious disease which are common in South Africa are waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid fever When these infections occur in large numbers and turn to be epidemic, they are most likely to increase mortality rate thus decreasing the population. However, this can be resolved if the society is aware and informed about this disease, because most of them can be treated earlier if they are diagnosed early. Furthermore, they can be prevented if they are understood and studied in detail. Healthwise, this module is very important because if a microbe is understood as it is explained in detail, health practitioners and scientist can be able to develop cures and treatments for it. This is how antibiotics are developed through understanding of the