Explain the process of aerobic respiration including oxidative phosphorylation [8]

In aerobic respiration, glucose is split into pyruvate by glycolysis. The pyruvate then enters the mitochondria and reacts with coenzyme A by the process of oxidative decarboxylation to form acetyl CoA, in this process carbon dioxide and NADH is formed. The acetyl group then enters the kreb cycle where FAD+ and NAD+ accept hydrogen to form NADH and FADH2. The energy in these molecules is then used to make many more molecules of ATP. In the inner membrane of the mitochondria there are the proteins. Both NADH and FADH2 donate electrons to the electron transport chain. As electrons move from 1 complex to another they transfer their energy to pump protons across the membrane, this then creates a concentration gradient across the membrane. Oxygen is the final electron acceptor; it will then combine with the protons to form water.