Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Energy From Carbohydrates

This set of flashcards covers important terms and concepts related to cellular respiration, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and energetic pathways in cells.

Cellular Respiration

A series of catabolic reactions that convert the energy in fuel molecules into ATP.

Glycolysis

The breakdown of glucose, resulting in the production of pyruvate, ATP, and reduced electron carriers.

Pyruvate

The product of glycolysis that is converted into acetyl-CoA in the presence of oxygen.

Acetyl-CoA

A key intermediate in metabolism that enters the citric acid cycle.

Citric Acid Cycle

A series of biochemical reactions that produces ATP, NADH, and FADH2 through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The process that uses energy from electrons transport chain to synthesize ATP.

ATP Synthase

An enzyme that converts the energy from a proton gradient into ATP by adding phosphate to ADP.

NAD+

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

FAD

Another electron carrier that is reduced to FADH2 during the citric acid cycle.

Fermentation

The process by which glucose is partially oxidized in the absence of oxygen, producing lactic acid or ethanol.

Substrate-Level Phosphorylation

The direct production of ATP from ADP by the transfer of a phosphate group during glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

Anaerobic Respiration

A type of respiration that occurs when oxygen is not present, using alternative electron acceptors.

Redox Reactions

Chemical reactions involving the transfer of electrons between molecules, consisting of oxidation and reduction.

Oxidation

The loss of electrons by a molecule, which often occurs in the metabolic processes.

Reduction

The gain of electrons by a molecule, which is a key process in cellular respiration.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane that help generate a proton gradient for ATP synthesis.

Proton Gradient

A difference in proton concentration across a membrane, used to power ATP synthesis.

Glycogen

A stored form of glucose that is broken down to fuel cellular processes when needed.

Beta-Oxidation

The process by which fatty acids are broken down into acetyl-CoA units.

Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1)

An enzyme that regulates a key step in glycolysis and is inhibited by high levels of ATP.