I know oxygen can pull electrons from elements, but i don't think that is the answer
2006-10-14 10:13:55 · 3 answers · asked by ? 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
It's simpler than that. Because oxygen is electronegative, it reacts readily with other elements to form compounds. Therefore, the presence of oxygen means that the pyruvic acid can be broken apart and readily formed into ATP.
2006-10-14 10:30:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because oxygen is electronegative it means that it would like to GAIN electrons. It does this by being the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. In aerobic cellular respiration the electrons from the food you eat (for example sugar) are taken from the foods and passed eventually onto oxygen. The leftover carbon from the food makes up the carbon dioxide that you breath out and the oxygen plus the electrons becomes water. The process of taken the electrons from the food and moving them to the oxygen produces ATP (cellular energy).
2006-10-14 20:02:29 · answer #2 · answered by Rebekah 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oxygen is the final electron acceptor in cellular respiration. The high energy has been "bled off" the high energy electrons by the cytochromes to make ATP, and the now "lower energy" electrons are dumped onto Oxygen with a couple of Hydrogen atoms, to make water.
2006-10-14 18:05:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋