Mitochondria & Chemiosmosis

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to mitochondria and chemiosmosis.

Mitochondria

Organelles that are the site of aerobic respiration and energy production in cells.

Chemiosmosis

The movement of ions across a selectively permeable membrane, down their electrochemical gradient, used to generate ATP.

Oxidative phosphorylation

The process of ATP production in mitochondria that uses the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.

Inner membrane

Layer of the mitochondrion folded into cristae, where oxidative phosphorylation occurs.

Cristae

Folded structures of the inner mitochondrial membrane that increase surface area for ATP production.

Electron transport chain (ETC)

A series of protein complexes in the mitochondrial inner membrane that transfer electrons and pump protons.

Proton gradient

A difference in proton concentration across the inner mitochondrial membrane that drives ATP synthesis.

Endosymbiotic theory

The theory that mitochondria originated from free-living bacteria that became incorporated into eukaryotic cells.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death initiated by specific proteins in the intermembrane space of mitochondria.

Citric acid cycle

A series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidation of acetyl CoA.