I’m a Little Mitochondrion

(To the tune of “I’m a Lumberjack”) / Recording by Tim Karplus

Oh I’m a little mitochondrion
Who gives you energy
I use my proton gradient
To make the ATPs

He’s a little mitochondrion
Who gives us energy
He uses proton gradients
To make some ATPs

Electrons flow through Complex II
To traffic cop Co-Q
Whenever they arrive there in
An FADH-two

Electrons flow through Complex II
To traffic cop Co-Q
Whenever they arrive there in
An FADH-two

Yes tightly coupled is my state
Unless I get a hole
Created in my membrane by
Some di-ni-tro-phe-nol

Yes tightly coupled is his state
Unless he gets a hole
Created in his membrane by
Some di-ni-tro-phenol

Both rotenone and cyanide
Stop my electron flow
And halt the calculation of
My “P” to “O” ratio

Both rotenone and cyanide
Stop his electron flow
And halt the calculation of
His “P” to “O” ratio