Cellular respiration is your body's way of breaking down food molecules (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and making their stored energy available to the cell. Here's a brief overview:
| Phase | Location in Eukaryotic Cell? | Molecules That Enter? | Molecules Produced? | Links to Other Phases? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glycolysis | Cytoplasm | Glucose, 2 NAD+, 2 ADP + P | 2 pyruvate, Net 2 ATP, 2 NADH + H+ | Pyruvate to linking step; NADH to ETC |
| Linking step (pyruvate oxidation) | Matrix of mitochondrion | 2 pyruvate, 2NAD+ | 2 NADH + H+, 2 CO2, 2 acetyl-coA | NADH to ETC, acetyl-coA to Krebs |
| Krebs Cycle | Matrix of mitochondrion | 2 Acetyl-coA, 6 NAD+, 2 FAD | 6 NADH + H+, 2 FADH2, 2 ATP, 4 CO2 | NADH to ETC, FADH2 to ETC |
| Electron Transport Chain (ETC) | Inner membrane of mitochondrion | NADH, FADH2, ADP + P | 3 ATP per NADH, 2 ATP per FADH2 | NAD+ to glycolysis, linking step & Krebs, FAD to Krebs |