What are the stages of cellular respiration?

The stages of cellular respiration are accurately described as glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain.

Glycolysis is the first step in cellular respiration, occurring in the cytoplasm, where glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP and NADH in the process. This step does not require oxygen and can thus occur under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Following glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), takes place in the mitochondria. In this cycle, the pyruvate produced in glycolysis is further oxidized, releasing carbon dioxide and transferring high-energy electrons to electron carriers like NADH and FADH2. This cycle contributes to the generation of ATP and the preparation of electron carriers that feed into the next stage.

The final stage of cellular respiration is the electron transport chain, which occurs in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, the electrons from NADH and FADH2 are transferred through a series of proteins, culminating in the production of a large amount of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation, as ADP is phosphorylated into ATP using the energy released from electrons as they move through