Aerobic Respiration

Key Stages of Respiration:

Glycolysis:

The first stage of anaerobic and aerobic respiration.
Takes place in the cytoplasm.
Involves the phosphorylation of glucose to glucose phosphate using ATP, production of triose phosphate, and oxidation of triose phosphate to pyruvate.
Results in a net gain of ATP and reduced NAD.
In anaerobic respiration, pyruvate can be converted to ethanol or lactate using reduced NAD, with oxidised NAD used in further glycolysis.

Aerobic Respiration:

Pyruvate from glycolysis enters the mitochondrial matrix by active transport.
Pyruvate gets oxidised to acetate, producing reduced NAD.
Acetate combines with coenzyme A in the link reaction to produce acetylcoenzyme A.
Acetylcoenzyme A reacts with a four-carbon molecule, releases coenzyme A, and produces a six-carbon molecule that enters the Krebs cycle.
The Krebs cycle generates reduced coenzymes and ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation, and carbon dioxide is lost.
ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation is associated with the transfer of electrons down the electron transfer chain and passage of protons across inner mitochondrial membranes, catalysed by ATP synthase.
Other respiratory substrates include breakdown products of lipids and amino acids, which enter the Krebs cycle.

Additional Information:

Aerobic respiration involves all stages, while anaerobic respiration is just glycolysis.
A flow chart is recommended to show each reaction and where in the cell it takes place.