Which are the main stages of cellular respiration?

The main stages of cellular respiration include glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Each of these processes plays a critical role in the conversion of glucose into usable energy in the form of ATP.

Glycolysis is the first stage and occurs in the cytoplasm, where one molecule of glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. This process generates a small yield of ATP and NADH, which are crucial for the subsequent stages.

The Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle or TCA cycle, takes place in the mitochondria. It further processes the pyruvate produced during glycolysis, leading to the release of carbon dioxide and the generation of high-energy electron carriers, NADH and FADH2, along with a small amount of ATP.

Finally, oxidative phosphorylation occurs across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, the electrons carried by NADH and FADH2 are transferred through the electron transport chain, resulting in the creation of a proton gradient that drives the synthesis of a large amount of ATP through ATP synthase.

Together, these three stages efficiently convert the energy stored in glucose into ATP, which is essential for various cellular activities. The other choices incorporated unrelated processes or stages that are not part of