proton pump

[inaccensa]

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So the protons are pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix into the intermembrane space. The NADH AND FADH are being oxidized and energy is released. "As energy is slowly released, it is used to pump protons (H+ ions) from the matrix into the intermembrane space by active transport. This
establishes an electrochemical proton gradient which stores the energy that has been released. This gradient can be used to do work."

Can someone please explain how it is storing energy in terms of physical formulas. I think that there is a potential difference here, but how exactly is that storing energy.
V = PE/q ; PE = Vq

Is the energy proportional to the charge and the voltage? Does the actual number of charged species play a role? I'm trying to correlate this phenomenon with physical sciences.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

So the protons are pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix into the intermembrane space. The NADH AND FADH are being oxidized and energy is released. "As energy is slowly released, it is used to pump protons (H+ ions) from the matrix into the intermembrane space by active transport. This
establishes an electrochemical proton gradient which stores the energy that has been released. This gradient can be used to do work."

Can someone please explain how it is storing energy in terms of physical formulas. I think that there is a potential difference here, but how exactly is that storing energy.
V = PE/q ; PE = Vq

Is the energy proportional to the charge and the voltage? Does the actual number of charged species play a role? I'm trying to correlate this phenomenon with physical sciences.

The pumping of protons into the intermembrane space creates a gradient of H+ between that compartment and the matrix. These protons want to come over into the matrix to dissipate this energy gradient. However, the protons can only get back into the matrix by going through ATP synthase; when they go through ATP synthase, they cause ATP synthase to rotate and make ATP from ADP and Pi.

I'm not sure how to explain it in terms of physical equations, but it's the protons attempting to dissipate the gradient that leads to formation of ATP. So, potential energy (in the form of the gradient) is converted to chemical energy (ATP). Hope this helps.

 

[wanderer]

Since there is an electrochemical gradient, you can probably use the Nernst equation, or the Goldman equation if there is more than one species involved.