Final answer:
Oxidative phosphorylation involves converting ADP to ATP as part of cellular respiration, using the energy from the citric acid cycle and electron transport chain. ADP is phosphorylated to produce ATP during various cellular reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that produces ATP and donates electrons to the electron transport chain is oxidative phosphorylation, which involves converting adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to ATP. During cellular respiration, particularly in the citric acid cycle, NADH and FADH2 are produced, which then donate electrons to the electron transport chain. This creates a proton gradient, which is used by ATP synthase to phosphorylate ADP into ATP.
Relevance of ADP in ATP Production
At the core of the ATP molecule is adenosine monophosphate (AMP), which, when combined with another phosphate group, becomes ADP. The addition of yet another phosphate group to ADP results in the formation of ATP. This process of phosphorylation is essential in various energy yielding reactions within the cell, as it captures energy in the form of high energy bonds.
Example: Phosphoenolpyruvate transfers its phosphate group to ADP producing pyruvate and ATP, demonstrating how ADP is converted to ATP during cellular reactions.