Cellular Respiration Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to cellular respiration and its processes, including definitions and the roles of various components.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The process in cellular respiration where most ATP is generated, involving the transfer of electrons to electron carriers and ultimately to oxygen.

Electron Carriers

Molecules that transport electrons throughout the electron transport chain during cellular respiration.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of proteins that transfer electrons and is crucial for the production of water and ATP during cellular respiration.

Substrate Level Phosphorylation

A method of generating ATP directly through the transfer of a phosphate group to ADP during metabolic reactions.

Glycolysis

The first stage of cellular respiration where glucose is broken down, leading to a net gain of ATP and energy carriers.

Pyruvate Oxidation

The second stage of cellular respiration, where pyruvate is transformed to enter the citric acid cycle, releasing energy.

Citric Acid Cycle

The third stage of cellular respiration that processes acetyl-CoA, producing electron carriers and ATP.

Anaerobic Cellular Respiration

A type of cellular respiration that occurs without oxygen, leading to different end products than aerobic respiration.

NAD+

An electron carrier that accepts electrons and is reduced to NADH during cellular respiration.

FAD

Another type of electron carrier that, when reduced, becomes FADH2, playing a role in the electron transport chain.