Question

4. The growth rate of cells is directly correlated with the amount of ATP produced. The more ATP produced, the faster cells will grow. The process of mitosis and meiosis is heavily energy dependent. We will learn more about this in the Nucleic Acid section. If you treat yeast cells (eukaryotes) with a drug that raises the pH of the intermembrane space of the mitochondria, how will this affect the growth rate of the yeast and why?

Answer 1

As the drug increases the pH of intermitochondrial space helps in the increase of H+ ions in the intermitochondrial space. For the production of ATP through ATP Synthetase enzyme high proton concentration in intermembrane space and low in the matrix is required. Thus due to this concentration gradient protons pumped from membrane space to matrix through ATP synthetase results in the production of ATP in the matrix. Due to increase pH in the intermembrane space of mitochondria results in the high production of ATP. High ATP means high energy levels. Thus helps in cell growth. picture showing proton moving from membrane space to matrix through ATP synthetase resultimg in forming ATP from ADP+Pi in the matrix.

Mitochondria High pH ($protons) & Intermembrane space. proton movement matris ADP+pi Synthetase (ATP) Scanned with CamScanner