Glossary

Aerobic cellular respiration is a process that oxidizes the major products of glycolysis to produce ATP. These major products are pyruvate, which is oxidized via the citric acid cycle (also known as the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle or Krebs Cycle), and NADH, which is oxidized via the electron transport chain. This chemical reaction is called Oxidative Phosphorylation. Aerobic respiration takes place in the mitochondria of the cell when oxygen is present. By contrast, anaerobic cellular respiration takes place when oxygen is limiting, and occurs independently of mitochondria.