cellular respiration
a series of reactions that extracts energy from glucose by breaking it apart into carbon dioxide and stores the energy in the form of ATP. Oxygen is converted into water as a byproduct.
fermentation
a series of reactions that regenerates oxidized NAD+ so that it can be reused in glycolysis, converts pyruvate into ethanol or lactic acid, depending on the organism in the process of the redox reaction
glycolysis
a series of reactions that converts glucose into 2 molecules of pyruvate, generating two ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and two reduced NADH
citric acid cycle
a cycle of reactions that converts AcetylCoA into carbon dioxide, generating one ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation, three reduced NADH, and one reduced FADH2 for each turn of the cycle. Also known as the Krebs cycle
oxidative phosphorylation
the process of ATP production that utilizes the proton gradient established by the electron transport chain
ATP synthase
the enzyme embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane that utilizes the flow of protons across the membrane to power ATP production
substrate-level phosphorylation
the process of ATP production that utilizes an enzyme to couple the phosphorylation of ADP with another chemical reaction
phosphorylation
the addition of a phosphate group to a molecule
electron transport chain
a series of complexes, each with increasing electronegativity, that can pump protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane using the energy released by the passing of electrons (redox reactions)
chemiosmosis
in the context of cellular respiration, the flow of protons down their concentration gradient through ATP synthase
glucose
a six-carbon sugar that is the initial substrate for cellular respiration
phosphofructokinase
an enzyme that catalyzes a step early in glycolysis that is regulated by various feedback mechanisms
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
a three-carbon molecule that is an intermediate in glycolysis, can be produced by a variety of process including the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins
pyruvate
one of the products of glycolysis that is then converted into acetylCoA to be used in the citric acid cycle
NAD+
the oxidized form of the most common electron carrier in cellular respiration
NADH
the reduced form of the most common electron carrier in cellular respiration
Acetyl CoA
the initial substrate for the citric acid cycle, donates the acetyl group to oxaloacetate to form citrate
FAD
the oxidized form of the electron carrier utilized in the citric acid cycle along with NAD+
FADH2
the reduced form of the electron carrier produced in the citric acid cycle along with NADH
Mitochondrial matrix
the space within the inner mitochondrial membrane
Intermembrane space
the space in between the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes
aerobic
something that requires oxygen
anaerobic
something that does not require oxygen
ethanol
an alcoholic product of fermentation, as in yeast
lactic acid
an acidic product of fermentation, as in mammals
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Brewer's or Baker's yeast often used as a model organism for eukaryotes