Final answer:
Oxygen is required by mitochondria to produce ATP; it acts as the terminal electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, enabling the synthesis of ATP through the process of oxidative phosphorylation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The element also required by the mitochondria to produce ATP is oxygen. Oxygen serves as a crucial element in the mitochondria's process of aerobic respiration. It functions as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. Without oxygen, electrons would not be able to flow through the chain, resulting in a failure to pump hydrogen ions across the inner mitochondrial membrane and halting ATP synthesis. The electron transport chain, which involves the movement of electrons through a series of protein complexes to drive the pumping of hydrogen ions against a gradient, culminates in the reduction of oxygen to water. This process sustains the electrochemical gradient necessary for ATP synthase to produce ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi).
The element that is required by the mitochondria to produce ATP is oxygen. Oxygen is the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain of aerobic respiration. As electrons pass through the electron transport chain, hydrogen ions are pumped across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The flow of these hydrogen ions powers ATP synthase, which produces ATP. However, in the absence of oxygen, this process cannot occur and ATP production is halted.