Final answer:
The ATP synthesis linked to oxygen-dependent electron transport is called oxidative phosphorylation. It occurs mainly in the mitochondria and is responsible for the bulk of ATP production in aerobic organisms, differing from substrate-level phosphorylation which directly generates ATP during metabolic reactions. Option b. Oxidative phosphorylation is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ATP synthesis that involves phosphorylation events linked to oxygen-dependent electron transport is called oxidative phosphorylation. This process is pivotal in the generation of ATP during glucose catabolism and occurs within the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells or in the plasma membrane of prokaryotic cells.
The term oxidative phosphorylation accurately reflects the critical involvement of oxygen in this metabolic process. During oxidative phosphorylation, the energy from the electron transport chain is used to pump protons across a membrane. This creates a proton gradient that powers the enzyme ATP synthase to generate ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. It is distinct from substrate-level phosphorylation, which generates a smaller amount of ATP directly through the catabolic pathways.
Contrary to oxidative phosphorylation, substrate-level phosphorylation occurs when a phosphate group is removed from an intermediate substrate in the metabolic pathway, and the energy released during this reaction is used to directly add the third phosphate to an ADP molecule.
Oxidative phosphorylation is highly efficient and responsible for producing the majority of ATP in living organisms that utilize aerobic respiration. The correct answer to the question is therefore option b. Oxidative phosphorylation.