The mystery of the disappearing hydrogens.

[yyttr2]

During cellular respiration in the very first step of glycolysis
c6h12O8+C10H16N5O13P3+hexokinase---> C10H15N5O10P2 + C6H11O6P1+ hexokinase

when Adenosine triphosphate and glucose are catalyzed by hexokinase, glucose is coverted into glucose 6, phosphate and loses a hydrogen atom.

ATP (C10 "H16" N5O13P3) when coverted to ADP ( C10 "H15" N5O12P2) loses a hydrogen atom as well!

My question as follows: Were did the hydrogen atoms run off to? it did not attach to NAD to be carried on to the ETS, and from all indications they simply went "poof".
I asked a 12th grade pre-Ap chem teacher and my pre ap biology teacher and nether were able to give me an answer nor speculate what it might be.


Thanks in advance!

[jonmoulton]

Check your chemicals -- glucose is C6H12O6, not C6H12O8. Your nucleotide formulae are also inaccurate. See the wikipedia pages cited below.

The combination of a phosphate with glucose is a dehydration synthesis. It's not just a hydrogen that is lost, it is an entire water, with one reactant contributing H and the other contributing OH to the formation of the water. Meanwhile the phosphate is cleaved by hydrolysis from ATP, making zero net change in water for the combined reaction.

It would help to look at the structures of the molecules. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycolysis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_diphosphate

[yyttr2]

glucose formula was a typo, but i am fairly sure i formed my nucleotide correct

The combination of a phosphate with glucose is a dehydration synthesis. It's not just a hydrogen that is lost, it is an entire water, with one reactant contributing H and the other contributing OH to the formation of the water

No oxygen is lost in the first stage of glycolysis

C6H12O6---> C6H11O6P1

oh snap ATP loses 2 oxygens! ATP has O12 and ADP has O10

[jonmoulton]

Right, ADP has 10 oxygens. You wrote: "ADP ( C10 "H15" N5O12P2)" with 12 oxygens, which is why I suggested you check your nucleotide.