Final answer:
The metabolic pathway using oxygen to break down glucose and generate energy is called cellular respiration, beginning with glycolysis and ending with oxidative phosphorylation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metabolic pathway that uses oxygen to break down glucose and generate energy is known as cellular respiration. This process begins with glycolysis, where glucose is split into two molecules of pyruvate within the cytosol of cells. This is followed by pyruvate oxidation and the citric acid cycle, which occur in the mitochondria in the presence of oxygen. Most of the ATP, however, is produced through oxidative phosphorylation, a two-part process composed of electron transport and chemiosmosis.
Glycolysis, also referred to as the Embden-Meyerhoff pathway, is an ancient and universal process used by nearly all organisms. As it does not directly use oxygen, it can also function anaerobically. However, when coupled with oxidative phosphorylation, a significant increase in ATP is produced, which is the main energy currency of the cell. This latter stage involves transferring electrons through a series of proteins in the mitochondrial membrane, ultimately leading to ATP synthesis from ADP.