A sequence of biochemical reactions that reduce oxidation and which forms the final stage of aerobic respiration. It ensures the transfer of electrons or hydrogen atoms derived from the Krebs cycle to the molecular oxygen, with the formation of water as waste product. At the same time, it conserves energy from food or light in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a carrier of chemical energy in the mitochondria of all living organisms.
See Adenosine triphosphosphate (ATP), Krebs cycle (or tri-carboxlic acid, TCA, cycle), Mitochondria