What are the four stages of cellular respiration?

The four stages of cellular respiration are glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Glycolysis is the initial stage that occurs in the cytoplasm, where glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP and NADH in the process. Following glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation takes place, where each pyruvate molecule is converted into acetyl-CoA, releasing carbon dioxide and generating NADH.

Next, the citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle, occurs in the mitochondria and involves a series of reactions that further breaks down acetyl-CoA into carbon dioxide while producing energy-rich electron carriers like NADH and FADH2 alongside a small amount of ATP.

The final stage, known as oxidative phosphorylation, takes place in the inner mitochondrial membrane. This stage uses the electron carriers generated in the earlier stages (NADH and FADH2) to produce a significant amount of ATP through the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis, where the energy released during electron transfers helps to pump protons across the membrane, leading to the synthesis of ATP by ATP synthase.

This comprehensive process showcases how glucose is metabolized