Continue your comparison of electron transport and chemiosmosis in mitochondria and chloroplasts. In each case, a. where do the electrons come from? b. how do the electrons get their high potential energy? c. what picks up the electrons at the end of the chain? d. how is the energy released as electrons are transferred down the electron transport chain used?

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1. Identify the source of electrons in both mitochondria and chloroplasts. In mitochondria, electrons are primarily derived from NADH and FADH2, which are produced during the Krebs cycle. In chloroplasts, electrons come from water molecules that are split during the light reactions of photosynthesis.
2. Examine how electrons gain high potential energy in each system. In mitochondria, the high energy of electrons is due to the energy released from the oxidation of glucose during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. In chloroplasts, electrons gain high potential energy from the absorption of light energy by chlorophyll during the light reactions.
3. Determine what picks up the electrons at the end of the electron transport chain in each system. In mitochondria, oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor, forming water. In chloroplasts, the electrons are ultimately used to reduce NADP+ to NADPH.
4. Explore how the energy released from electron transfer is utilized in each system. In both mitochondria and chloroplasts, as electrons move down the electron transport chain, their energy is used to pump protons across a membrane, creating a proton gradient.
5. Understand the role of the proton gradient in generating ATP. In both systems, the proton gradient drives the synthesis of ATP as protons flow back across the membrane through ATP synthase, a process known as chemiosmosis.