COM – Oxygen consumption

COM simulates experiments with isolated mitochondria in an incubation chamber fitted with an oxygen electrode (oxygraph). Add mitochondria, substrates, ADP, inhibitors and uncouplers one after another and follow, in real time, O₂ consumption and the electrical potential of the inner membrane (Δψ). The challenge is to find out what each compound does: which ones stimulate oxygen consumption, which ones inhibit it, where each electron transport chain inhibitor acts and how uncouplers separate respiration from ATP synthesis. • 15 compounds: malate, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, TMPD + ascorbate, ADP + phosphate, rotenone, malonate, antimycin A, cyanide, carbon monoxide, oligomycin, 2,4-dinitrophenol and FCCP • Recording of dissolved O₂ and Δψ, with a numbered history of every addition • Several experiments side by side for comparison • Question guide for undergraduate classes and an answer table for teachers • Portuguese, English and Spanish Current version of the COM simulator, created in 1997 at the Educational Technology Laboratory (LTE), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (Unicamp), and used in biochemistry courses ever since. Part of BIOQUÍMICA +30. Free, no ads, no sign-up and no data collection. Works offline.