METABOLISE
Based on "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
Original Words and Music by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perrin

 

Two pyruvates are made from glycolysis:
First glucose gains phosphate from ATP hydrolysis
Then it’s isomerised, and then turned into fructose bisphosphate
Which then relates
To two 3C carbohydrates
Each gains phosphate (with phosphorylase),
They’re oxidised by NAD+ (with a dehydrogenase)
And in the last three steps they’re made into pyruvate, finally,
And there’s a net gain of two molecules of lovely ATP…

It’s aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It’s got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar’s glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise…!!

(musical bit)

Pyruvate loses CO2 (forms NADH)
Its ethanoyl group forms acetyl coenzyme A
4C oxaloacetate joins on to make 6C citrate,
Eight steps go round;
And two more CO2 are found;
One ATP each cycle gains,
Reduced coenzymes make more in the electron transport chain:
Four from two FADH2, ten NADH - and each yields three:
Altogether from one glucose that’s 38 ATP

It’s aerobic respiration
(Not as efficient - but more controlled than combustion)
It’s got to get all twelve hydrogens oxidised,
To turn six carbons into six carbon dioxides;
To oxidise! Metabolise!
Oh it starts off in the cytosol, where sugar’s glycolysed
The TCA cycle goes on
In a mitochondrion
Metabolise - metabolise….!!!


© Aimee Hartnell, April 2000