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Introduction to Cellular Respiration definitions

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  • Aerobic Cellular Respiration
    A process that breaks down glucose in the presence of oxygen to produce ATP, primarily occurring in the mitochondria.
  • ATP
    The main energy source for cells, produced in large amounts during aerobic cellular respiration.
  • Mitochondria
    The organelle where most stages of aerobic cellular respiration occur, producing ATP.
  • Glucose
    A monosaccharide sugar that is oxidized during aerobic cellular respiration to produce ATP.
  • Oxygen
    The final electron acceptor in aerobic cellular respiration, reduced to form water.
  • Redox Reaction
    A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons, as seen in aerobic cellular respiration.
  • Glycolysis
    The first stage of aerobic cellular respiration, occurring in the cytoplasm, breaking down glucose.
  • Pyruvate Oxidation
    The second stage of aerobic cellular respiration, converting pyruvate into acetyl-CoA in the mitochondria.
  • Krebs Cycle
    Also known as the citric acid cycle, it's the third stage of aerobic cellular respiration, producing electron carriers.
  • Electron Transport Chain
    The fourth stage of aerobic cellular respiration, where electrons are transferred to produce ATP.
  • Chemiosmosis
    A process in the electron transport chain where ATP is synthesized using a proton gradient.
  • Substrate Level Phosphorylation
    A method of ATP production during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle.
  • Oxidative Phosphorylation
    ATP production method in the electron transport chain using oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
  • Fermentation
    An anaerobic process that allows glycolysis to continue by regenerating NAD+, producing lactic acid or alcohol.
  • Carbon Dioxide
    A byproduct of aerobic cellular respiration, produced when glucose is oxidized.