How many steps does the process of cellular respiration have? List them in order.
The process of cellular respiration consists of three main steps. These steps are listed in order below:
1. Glycolysis: This is the first step of cellular respiration and occurs in the cytoplasm. It involves the breakdown of glucose molecules into two molecules of pyruvate. This step does not require oxygen and produces a small amount of ATP and NADH.
2. Citric Acid Cycle (also known as the Krebs Cycle or TCA Cycle): This is the second step of cellular respiration and takes place in the mitochondria. Pyruvate molecules from glycolysis are further broken down and converted into carbon dioxide. This step generates additional ATP, NADH, and FADH2.
3. Electron Transport Chain (ETC): This is the final step of cellular respiration and occurs in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. The NADH and FADH2 produced in previous steps donate their electrons to the electron transport chain. This generates a large amount of ATP through a series of redox reactions, and oxygen is required as the final electron acceptor. The byproduct of this step is water.