In article <4kl7bs$d6m at mserv1.dl.ac.uk>, jamm at nhm.ac.uk wrote:
> What did these early eukaryotes do for energy??
> How did pre-mitochondrial eukaryotes break down complex molecules into
> CO2 and H2O?
> Are there eukaryotic mechanisms (not mitochondrially-encoded) that
> facilitate such processes?
Glycolysis. dear old primitive glycolysis. Then and now. Delightfully
cytoplasmic running off of nuclear encoded genes. Our common bioenergetic
heritage shared with our prokaryotic cousins.
Admirably anaerobic but adaptable to the modern aerobic lifestyle! Not a
terribly efficient process for the anaerobe (~3% extraction of usable
energy from glucose), but good enough to survive on. Its very inefficiency
the compelling motive to put up with the costs and annoyance of those
pesky little aerobic endosymbionts.
Ah, glycolysis...
(How long ago did you say that biochemistry class was?)
cheers
--
Ron Grunwald
Instructor, Department of Botany
grun at acpub.duke.edu
