Glycolysis

Glycolysis splits glucose into two three-carbon sugars. During this section, energy is added. Then, ATP is extracted and high energy electrons are attached to NAD+.

Citric Acid Cycle

The pyruvate from glycolysis is transported to the mitochondria. There it is transformed into a two-carbon acetyl group which is picked up by coenzyme CoA. Two carbons come into the cycle from each acetyl group and with each turn they release two carbon dioxide molecules. Two turns of the cycle creates one glucose molecule.

Electron Transport Chain

The electron transport chain uses free oxygen as the final electron acceptor for the electrons that are removed from the compounds in glucose catabolism. The electrons are passed through a bunch of chemical reactions that take free energy to help get hydrogen across the membrane. The chain produces water and ATP.