Respiration

• Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and does not require oxygen as it is an anaerobic process.
• Glucose (6 carbon sugar) is split into two smaller, three-carbon pyruvate molecules.
• Phosphorylation in glycolysis, the first step requires 2 molecules of ATP. Two phosphates, released from the two ATP molecules, are attached to a glucose molecule forming hexose biphosphate
• Lysis, in glycolysis, this destabilises the molecule causing it to split into two triose phosphate molecules.
• Phosphorylation is used again in glycolysis, another phosphate group is added to each triose phosphate forming two triose biphosphate molecules. These phosphate groups come from free inorganic phosphate ions present in the cytoplasm
• Dehydrogenation and formation of ATP in glycolysis, the two triose biphosphate molecules are then oxidised by the removal of hydrogen atoms (dehydrogenation) to form two pyruvate molecules. NAD coenzymes accept the removed hydrogens, they are reduced.
• The outer mitochondrial membrane seperates the contents of the mitochondrian from the rest of the cell, creating a cellular compartment with ideal conditions for aerobic respiration
• The inner mitochondrial membrane contains electron transport chains and ATP synthase
• Cristae are projections of the inner membrane which increase the surface area available for oxidative phosphorylation
• The matrix contains enzymes for the Krebs cycle and the link reaction also contains mitochondrial DNA
• In the Intermembrane space proteins are pumped into this space by the electron transport chain. The space is small so the concentration builds up quickly