Question

Please can I get some points that should be brought up when answering the following question: During oxidative phosphorylation stage of the cellular respiration, explain what would happen if you decreased the pH of the intermembrane space of the mitochondrion in the absence of oxygen.

Answer 1

The immediate source of energy for oxidative phosphorylation is the pH gradient (proton motive force) across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The mitochondrial matrix pH is high, the intermembrane space pH is low. So if you decreased the pH of the intermembrane space, then the pH gradient would be greater, providing more energy for ox phos.