Answer:
The final electron acceptor in aerobic cell respiration is oxygen (O2).
Step-by-step explanation:
During the process of aerobic cell respiration, glucose and other organic molecules are broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce energy in the form of ATP. The breakdown of glucose occurs in several stages, including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain.
In the electron transport chain, electrons are transferred from electron carriers (such as NADH and FADH2) to a series of protein complexes embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane. As the electrons move down the electron transport chain, they release energy, which is used to pump protons (H+) from the mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space, creating an electrochemical gradient.
The final protein complex in the electron transport chain is cytochrome c oxidase, which transfers electrons to molecular oxygen (O2) to form water (H2O) as a byproduct. This reaction is essential for the production of ATP, as it generates a proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane that is used by ATP synthase to produce ATP.