Cellular respiration is a complex metabolic process that breaks down glucose to produce energy in the form of ATP through both aerobic and anaerobic processes in mitochondrial function.
• The process involves multiple stages including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport chain, generating up to 38 ATP molecules from one glucose molecule
• Glycolysis ATP production and metabolic pathways begin in the cytoplasm, while later stages occur within the mitochondria
• Both aerobic and anaerobic pathways are possible, with fermentation serving as an alternative when oxygen is unavailable
• The process involves important redox reactions where glucose is oxidized and oxygen is reduced
