Answer to Question #18796 in Biochemistry for jon loyd

Question

if the respiratory system in a cell is poisoned so that electron transport is uncoupled from ATP production, what might happen to the energy produced?

Answer 1

If you uncouple ox-phos, electron transport continues, you just won't make any ATP. The energy is lost as heat. This is how brown adipose tissue works to produce so-called "non-shivering thermogenesis."