The basal rate of consumption of O2 by a 70-kg human is about 16 mol of O2 per day. This O2 oxidizes food and is reduced to H2O, providing energy for the organism:
O2 + 4H+ + 4e- ⇌ 2H2O
(a) To what current (in amperes = C/s) does this respiration rate correspond? (Current is defined by the flow of electrons from food to O2.)
(b) Compare your answer in part (a) with the current drawn by a refrigerator using 5.00 × 102 W at 115 V. Remember that power (in watts) = work/s = E ∙ I.
(c) If the electrons flow from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to O2, they experience a potential drop of 1.1 V. What is the power output (in watts) of our human friend?