Chapter 7 - Introduction

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To fully appreciate this tutorial, you should be familiar with:
• The basic structure of eukaryotic cells, particularly their mitochondria
• The basic chemical structure of ATP and how it transfers a phosphate group
• Exergonic and endergonic reactions and how they are coupled using ATP
• Electron transfer and how the transfer of electrons is related to the transfer of energy

After this tutorial, you will be able to describe:
• The overall process of aerobic respiration
• Each of the four stages of aerobic respiration
• How each stage of aerobic respiration is related to the overall process

How does the overall equation for aerobic respiration relate to its four stages?

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An overview of aerobic respiration
Glycolysis
The formation of acetyl coenzyme A
The citric acid cycle
The electron transport chain
Chemiosmosis
Summary

Every single day of your life, from the time your father's sperm fertilized your mother's egg until the day you die, your cells need energy—to grow, divide, transport materials across membranes, and move. The same is true for the cells of every organism, from bacteria to bald eagles, from mushrooms to redwoods.

Cellular respiration is the process that occurs in cells to provide this energy. It is a process that converts energy in the chemical bonds of nutrient molecules into energy in the chemical bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). All organisms use ATP to temporarily hold chemical energy until it is used by the cell.

This tutorial focuses on aerobic respiration, a type of cellular respiration that requires molecular oxygen (O₂). Aerobic respiration is the most common pathway for most kinds of cells.