Come On Down (The Electron Transport Chain)

words and music by Greg Crowther and Sam Reid

Mitochondria produce ATP through the process of oxidative phosphorylation. In this process, electron pairs are transferred from NADH and FADH2 to oxygen via a series of electron carriers, such as flavin mononucleotide (FMN), ubiquinone (a.k.a. Coenzyme Q), and cytochromes a, b, and c. This transfer of electrons is thermodynamically favorable -- i.e., ΔG is negative -- and is coupled to the pumping of protons out of the mitochondrial matrix. The flow of protons back into the matrix, in turn, catalyzes the production of ATP by the F0F1 ATP synthase.

Electron pair on NADH,
Looking for a place to go --
You could jump onto pyruvate,
But if you want to reach a lower energy state,

Why don't you come on down the electron transport chain
And take a downhill ride on this one-way train?
Oh, won't you come on down the electron transport chain?
It exploits delta G to make ATP.

Electron pair on FADH2 --
The Krebs cycle's done with you.
Though the matrix is your current home,
You could be transferred to ubiquinone,

And you could come on down the electron transport chain.
The loss of one cytochrome is another's gain,
So won't you come on down the electron transport chain?
It exploits delta G to make ATP.

You can't just hold on to the same old thing;
Why should you hold on to that nicotinamide ring,

When you could come on down the electron transport chain,
And take a downhill ride on this one-way train?
Oh, won't you come down the electron transport chain?
It exploits delta G to make ATP.

• MP3 by Sam Reid

• MP3 by Science Groove