Standard Free Energy for Bacterial Metabolic Process
Consider the oxidation of glucose, C6H12O6:
Step 1 Balance the major atoms. In this case we will use CO2 as the end product for carbon.
C6H12O6 ——–> 6 CO2
Step 2 Balance the oxygen with water:
C6H12O6 + 6 H2O ——–> 6 CO2
Step 3 Balance the hydrogen:
C6H12O6 + 6 H2O ——–> 6 CO2 + 24 H+
Step 4 Balance the charge with electrons:
C6H12O6 + 6 H2O ——–> 6 CO2 + 24 H+ + 24 e- (1)
If the reaction is anaerobic then the equation of reaction can be written as:
O2 + 4 H+ + 4 e———–> 2 H2O (2)
Adding equation (1) and (2) we obtain equation (3)
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 ——–> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O (3)
With a different metabolic process of electron acceptors, the equation becomes:
NO3- + 6 H+ + 5 e- ——-> 0.5 N2 +3 H2O (4)
NO2- + 4 H+ + 3 e- ——–> 0.5 N2 +2 H2O (5)
SO4 + 10 H+ + 8 e- ——-> H2S + 4 H2O (6)
Conversion of acetate to carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate ion
CH3CO2- + H3O+ CH3CO2H + H2O
HCl + CH3CO2- CH3CO2H + Cl-
OH- + CH3CO2H CH3CO2- + H2O
During respiratory process, the carbon dioxide produced is reacts with water to form carbonic acid and the carbonic acid further converted to an ion of hydrogen carbonate which is further converted to hydroxonium and carbonate ions as shown in the equations below (Hynes 96).
CO32- + H3O+ HCO3- + H2O
HCO3- + H3O+ H2CO3 + H2O
H2CO3 CO2 + H2O
Work Cited
Haynes, William M. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 92nd ed. London: CRC Press. (2001).
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