Energy from inorganic reactions

E. Energy from Inorganic Reactions Chain of Mitochondria... 

Some bacteria obtain all of their energy from inorganic reactions. These chemolithotrophs usually have a metabolism that is similar to that of hetero-trophic organisms, but they also have the capacity to obtain all of their energy from an inorganic reaction. 

In the modern biosphere most energy comes from sunlight, but this skill had to be learned and it is likely that the first life obtained its energy from inorganic chemical reactions. There are a wide range of possible oxidation-reduction reactions which life utilizes to generate energy. These define a number of... 

Oxidation. AH inorganic siUcon hydrides are readily oxidized. Silane and disilane are pyrophoric in air and form siUcon dioxide and water as combustion products thus, the soot from these materials is white. The activation energies of the reaction of silane with molecular and atomic oxygen have been reported (20,21). The oxidation reaction of dichlorosilane under low pressure has been used for the vapor deposition of siUcon dioxide (22). 

The Gibbs energy changes are negative and of sufficient magnitude that the reactions will unquestionably go to completion. However, the synthesis of two molecules of ATP from inorganic phosphate and ADP, a reaction... 

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