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Name: Frankie
Status: educator
Grade: other
Location: Outside U.S.
Country: Australia
Date: Fall 2011
Question:
Biology textbooks go into detail explaining ATP productio during cellular respiration, giving us the number of ATP molecules produced for one molecule of glucose. Do we know the same information for how much ATP is used in essential cellular processes? I assume ATP is required when cells undergo cell division. Do we know how much ATP a particular cell uses in mitosis?


Replies:
Dear Frankie,

Here is an example of a metabolic cost analysis of terpene biosynthesis in plants. Terpenes are plant natural products that contribute to plant fitness but are not absolutely required for survival. As such, one can consider the plant suppressing their production under conditions of limited energy.

Gershenzon, J. 1993 Metabolic cost of terpenoid accumulation in higher plants. Journal of Chemical Ecology 20, 1281-1328.

Regards, Jim Tokuhisa


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