Rather, it remains in the cytoplasm where it can be turned into a waste product that is removed from the cell. The pyruvate is not transported into the mitochondrion. In another anaerobic process, such as fermentation, pyruvate is not metabolized in the same way as an aerobic type of respiration. anaerobic bacteria) that use certain molecules as electron acceptors instead of oxygen. When the final electron acceptor is not oxygen, it is described as anaerobic. An anaerobic type of respiration is carried out chiefly by anaerobic organisms (e.g. Hence, the process is described as aerobic.
But essentially, the process is called cellular respiration because the cell seems to “ respire” in a way that it takes in molecular oxygen (as an electron acceptor) and releases carbon dioxide (as an end product). adenosine triphosphate or ATP) for use in the energy-requiring activities of the cell.Ĭellular respiration works either in the presence or absence of oxygen. glucose) and then stored in energy-carrying biomolecules (e.g. Biochemical energy is harvested from organic substances (e.g.
#Aerobick respiration series#
What is cellular respiration in simple terms? Cellular respiration can be defined simply as a series of metabolic processes that take place within a cell. The main function of cellular respiration is to break down glucose to form energy. The complexes involved in the electron transport chain.Electron transport chain and chemiosmosis.What is the Role of Oxygen in Cellular Respiration?.The other three stages of cellular respiration-pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation require oxygen to occur. Note: Out of the steps mentioned above, only glycolysis can take place without oxygen. At the end of ETC, the oxygen accepts electrons and takes up protons, forming water. Next, the protons flow back into the matrix through an enzyme called ATP synthase, making ATP. This released energy is used to pump protons out of the matrix into the intermembrane space, forming an electrochemical gradient. Together, the electron transport chain (ETC) and chemiosmosis make up oxidative phosphorylation. This energy is captured as a proton gradient, which is then used to make ATP in a process called chemiosmosis. As electrons move down the chain, they move from a higher to a lower energy level, releasing energy. In this step, the NADH and FADH 2 made in the previous phases get transformed into NAD + and FAD, respectively, by donating their electrons in the electron transport chain (ETC). At the end of two cycles, the net gain is 2ATP, 6NADH, and 2FADH 2. Each cycle yields 2 molecules of carbon dioxide, 1 molecule of ATP, 3NADH and 1FADH 2. So, it runs twice as 2 pyruvate molecules were derived in the first step.
In this stage, the acetyl CoA combines with a four-carbon molecule oxaloacetate, producing citric acid through a cycle of reactions.