Summary
In this short communication we discuss the possibility that anaerobic glycolisis and (aerobic) respiration, both for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, be chemical reactions that follow different thermodynamic-optimization criteria. The former reaction maximizing power output and the latter maximizing a function that represents an advantageous compromise between high power output and low entropy production. Our approach is by means of finite-time thermodynamics (FTT).
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Angulo-Brown, F., Santillán, M. & Calleja-Quevedo, E. Thermodynamic optimality in some biochemical reactions. Il Nuovo Cimento D 17, 87–90 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451604
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02451604