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Redox Reactions01:24

Redox Reactions

Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
Electron Transport Chains01:28

Electron Transport Chains

The final stage of cellular respiration is oxidative phosphorylation that consists of two steps: the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. The electron transport chain is a set of proteins found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to establish a proton gradient that can be used during chemiosmosis to produce ATP and generate electron carriers, such as NAD+ and FAD, that are used in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.
The ETC is comprised of...
Balancing Redox Equations02:58

Balancing Redox Equations

Electrochemistry is the science involved in the interconversion of electrical and chemical reactions. Such reactions are called reduction-oxidation, or redox reactions. These important reactions are defined by changes in oxidation states for one or more reactant elements and include a subset of reactions involving the transfer of electrons between reactant species. Electrochemistry as a field has evolved to yield sufficient insights on the fundamental principles of redox chemistry and multiple...
Electrolysis03:00

Electrolysis

In a galvanic cell, the electrical work is done by a redox system on its surroundings as electrons produced by the spontaneous redox reactions are transferred through an external circuit. Alternatively, an external circuit does work on a redox system by imposing a voltage sufficient to drive an otherwise nonspontaneous reaction in a process known as electrolysis. For instance, recharging a battery involves the use of an external power source to drive the spontaneous (discharge) cell reaction in...
Electrochemical Cells01:28

Electrochemical Cells

Electrochemical cells are systems that convert chemical energy into electrical energy or use electrical energy to drive chemical reactions. They consist of two electrodes in contact with an electrolyte, where redox reactions enable electron transfer. Most electrochemical cells include two half-cells connected by an external wire for electron flow and a salt bridge for ion flow. The salt bridge contains an electrolyte solution and maintains charge neutrality by allowing ions—not electrons—to...
Redox Reactions01:27

Redox Reactions

Redox reactions are vital biochemical processes that underpin energy metabolism in cells. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons between molecules, occurring in tandem as oxidation and reduction. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction denotes their gain. This coupling ensures the seamless flow of electrons through metabolic pathways. For example, in bacterial metabolism, glucose undergoes oxidation to carbon dioxide, while oxygen is simultaneously reduced to...