Oxidative Phosphorylation

[MichaelXY]

That word just sucks to spell, but here is my question. According to my book:
3 ATP's are made per NADH during OP. I don't see how this works. Is the H ion in NADH somehow recycled two more times? That can't be it, so I just don't see it.
I think it has to do with the cytochromes, so does the H ion from NADH passing through the Cytochrome give off an additional H ion?
Anyone care to give insight?

Thanks

[mith]

Look again at the ETC, one electron is dropped(in energy) thru many carriers.

[MichaelXY]

So, as the energy is dropped through the carrier, does this release a H+ from the carrier, and by the 3rd carrier the original e- has insufficeint energy to release any more? If so, where does the carrier get its energy from to release? That is the part that puzzles me. Getting 3 H+ from 1. I think I am just confused a bit.

[mith]

Electrons are shuffled betw een the complexes, each time the energy drops for the electron, it powers a proton pump.

I think the confusion is that the protons from NADH are NOT related to the protons that form the proton gradient for the atp synthase pump.

[MichaelXY]

Okay, that makes sense. Thanks Mith