Cellular Respiration

Cellular Respiration

The process of converting chemical energy stored in glucose into ATP, the cell’s primary energy source, through three stages

Glycolysis

The initial stage of Cellular Respiration, where glucose is converted into pyruvate and produces a small amount of ATP in the cytosol

Glycolysis inputs to outputs

2 ATP + 2 NAD+ + glucose = 2 net ATP + 2 NADH + 2 pyruvate

Pyruvate Oxidation

An intermediate step b/w glycolysis and the Krebs cycle where 2 pyruvate is transported into the mitochondrial matrix and is oxidized to create 2 Acetyl CoA

Krebs Cyle (Citric Acid Cycle)

The second stage of cellular respiration occuring in the mitochondrial matrix, where the Acetyl CoA made in pyruvate oxidation goes through a series of chemical reactions to produce ATP and high-energy electron carriers (NADH + FADH) , with CO2 as a waste product

Krebs Cycle inputs to outputs

ADP + NAD+ + FAD = 2 FADH + 2 ATP + 6 NADH

Electron Transport Chain

The final stage of cellular respiration in the inner mitochondrial matrix, where the energy from NADH and FADH are used to generate ATP and pass down high-energy electrons down a series of protein complexes. The final acceptor of these electrons is O2, combining with an electron and two H+ molecules to form H2O

Oxidative Phosphorylation

Occurs within ETC, where cells use the energy from electrons passed down the ETC to create a proton gradient, which powers ATP synthase to form ATP by combining ADP with a phosphate group

Chemiosmosis

the movement of ions, like protons (H+) across a selectively permeable membrane down their electrochemical gradient, which drives the synthesis of ATP

ETC inputs and Outputs

NADH + FADH + ADP + O2 = ATP + H2O + NAD+ + FAD