Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of

organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and
then release waste products.

Cellular respiration is the process of oxidizing food molecules, like glucose, to carbon
dioxide and water.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O 12H2O + 6 CO2

The energy released is trapped in the form of ATP for use by all the energy-
consuming activities of the cell.

The process occurs in two phases:

glycolysis, the breakdown of glucose to pyruvic acid

the complete oxidation of pyruvic acid to carbon dioxide

and water

Glycolysis breaks down glucose and forms pyruvate with the production of two molecules of
ATP. The pyruvate end product of glycolysis can be used in either anaerobic respiration if no
oxygen is available or in aerobic respiration via the TCA cycle which yields much more usable
energy for the cell.
Kreb Cycle (Hans Krebs) the sequence of reactions by which most living cells generate energy
during the process of aerobic respiration. It takes place in the mitochondria, consuming oxygen,
producing carbon dioxide and water as waste products, and converting ADP to energy-rich ATP.
The diagram below shows how this part of respiration is an ever-repeating cycle which
produces ATP and gives off CO2. The ATP is a molecule which carries energy in chemical form to be
used in other cell processes. To summarize:

Two molecules of carbon dioxide are given off

One molecule of ATP is formed

Three molecules of NAD+ are combined with hydrogen (NAD+ NADH)

One molecule of FAD combines with hydrogen (FAD FADH2)

Because two acetyl-CoA molecules are produced from each glucose molecule, two cycles are
required per glucose molecule. Therefore, at the end of two cycles, the products are: two ATP, six
NADH2, two FADH2two QH2 (ubiquinol) and four CO2.

An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of compounds that transfer

electrons from electrondonors to electron acceptors via redox (both reduction and oxidation
occurring simultaneously) reactions, and couples this electron transfer with thetransfer of
protons (H+ ions) across a membrane.