What are the stages of aerobic cellular respiration in order?

The stages of aerobic cellular respiration occur in a specific sequence to effectively convert glucose into usable energy in the form of ATP. The correct order begins with glycolysis, where glucose is broken down into pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP and NADH. This process occurs in the cytoplasm and is anaerobic, meaning it does not require oxygen.

After glycolysis, the pyruvate undergoes a conversion process before entering the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle or TCA cycle). This conversion takes place in the mitochondria, during which pyruvate is transformed into acetyl-CoA while generating additional NADH and releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product.

The citric acid cycle then continues the process of energy extraction from the acetyl-CoA, generating more NADH and FADH2, along with ATP and additional carbon dioxide. This cycle is critical for fully oxidizing the carbon skeleton of glucose derivatives.

Finally, the electron transport chain (ETC) utilizes the high-energy electrons from NADH and FADH2 to produce a larger quantity of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. Oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor in this step, forming water as a byproduct.

This sequence, therefore, is essential