Here's a breakdown of the process:
* Glycolysis: Glucose is broken down into pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).
* Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle): Pyruvate is further broken down, generating more ATP, NADH, and FADH2 (flavin adenine dinucleotide).
* Electron Transport Chain: The NADH and FADH2 from the previous stages donate electrons to a chain of proteins in the mitochondria. This electron transport drives the pumping of protons across the mitochondrial membrane, creating a concentration gradient.
* Oxidative Phosphorylation: Protons flow back across the membrane through ATP synthase, which uses this energy to produce large amounts of ATP.
This entire process is how our cells extract energy from glucose to power all of their functions.
