Answer: In this process, the energy released in form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) is used to POWER BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES.
Explanation:
Aerobic respiration is the process by which living organisms breaks down glucose molecule to release energy. Oxygen is used for this process that's why the name aerobic.
Aerobic respiration releases energy within the bonds of glucose step by step in an enzyme controlled reaction. The stages of these processes includes:
--> Glycolysis: In this stage, glucose molecules are split to produce two molecules of ATP and two molecules of NADH (another energy carrying molecule).
--> Krebs Cycle: this is the second stage which occurs in the mitochondria of cells. The 2 ATP molecules generated from glycolysis is used to produce two more ATP, 8 more NADH and 2 molecules of FADH. This makes it a total of 16 energy molecules ( including 2 molecules of ATP from glycolysis).
--> Electron transport chain: this is the last stage of aerobic respiration which takes part at the inner member of the mitochondria. Electrons are transported from molecule to molecule down an electron-transport chain. Some of the energy from the electrons ( NADH and FADH from kreb cycle) is used to pump hydrogen ions across the membrane, creating an electrochemical gradient that drives the synthesis of many more molecules of ATP. As a result 32 more ATP are generated.
In conclusion, a total of up to 36 molecules of ATP from just one molecule of glucose in the process of aerobic respiration which are used to power biological processes.
