Question

Is CO₂ a product of oxidative phosphorylation?

Answer 1

Oxidative Phosphorylation:

1. The production of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate through the F₀ - F₁ particles in mitochondria is called oxidative phosphorylation.
2. As electrons pass from one electron carrier to the other through Complex I to Complex IV in the electron transport chain (ETC), the electrons are coupled to the enzyme ATP synthase in F₁ particles for the production of ATP from ADP.
3. As electrons are transported from one molecule of NADH⁺ + H through ETC three pairs of protons are transported from the outer mitochondrial membrane to the matrix thereby generating 3 ATP molecules.
4. As electrons pass from one molecule of FADH₂ two pairs of protons are released which in turn generates two molecules of ATP.
5. So,ATP is synthesised in oxidative phosphorylation and O₂ is reduced to H₂O as electrons get transferred from various electron carriers to molecular oxygen.