How is oxygen important in aerobic respiration?

1 Answer
Sep 18, 2015

By being the molecules to Krebs cycle and electron transport

Explanation:

Oxygen is the only molecules to grab the reactive electron from NADH or FADH2 via hydrogen transporter molecules and become water..that is why glucose reaction creates CO2 and H20(water)

Without oxygen molecules enough for aerobic reaction, there is no molecules could catch the hydrogen reactive(reactive electron) from NADH and FADH2.So the NADH and FADH2 accumulated and halt Krebs cycle and halt the reaction from pyruvate to acetyl-CoA

Besides the most valuable energy resources is in electron transport which creates up to 28 ATP-32 ATP.