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Message: <blockquote data-quote="desperadoflakes" data-source="post: 18985786" data-attributes="member: 533760">Would you say that the mechanism for heat production in brown fat is an exception to this? Brown fat cells have channels in the mitochondrial inner membrane that allow for facilitated diffusion of protons across the membrane, just like the ATP synthase but without the elements necessary for using the energy of that proton gradient for ATP synthesis, essentially creating energy to be used for nothing. Here's where it gets a bit fuzzy for me though. Animals like polar bears and [human] babies have a ton of brown fat because this uncoupling process produces so much heat compared to the normal ATP synthase function (babies haven't yet developed the ability to shiver). What is it about the uncoupling process that produces this heat? Is it just because the ATP synthase chemical reaction is endothermic, so by doing the electron transport you're creating the same amount of heat but the loss of ATP synthesis prevents it from being absorbed endothermically? And if so, why does the function of the electron transport chain produce heat at all? Does the creation of an electrochemical gradient increase the kinetic energy of the protons moving down it? That's a bit fuzzy for me, would love to hear what you think.</blockquote>

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