lunamoth
Will to love
OK, so there's no getting around the fact that the ETC is composed of a series of reduction-oxidation reactions.
Each purple oval in the last diagram represents a molecule that undergoes a 'redox reaction' as the electron is passed to it, and then passed on to the next member (electron carrier) in the chain. The last electron acceptor is oxygen (O2), which is why we need oxygen to live.
Some of the electron carriers need to pick up a proton (H+) when they accept the electron. The protons are picked up from one side of the membrane when the carrier is 'reduced' and released to the other side of the membrane with it is oxidized.
So, there is a net build-up of protons on one side of the membrane (in the intermembrane space).
Each purple oval in the last diagram represents a molecule that undergoes a 'redox reaction' as the electron is passed to it, and then passed on to the next member (electron carrier) in the chain. The last electron acceptor is oxygen (O2), which is why we need oxygen to live.
Some of the electron carriers need to pick up a proton (H+) when they accept the electron. The protons are picked up from one side of the membrane when the carrier is 'reduced' and released to the other side of the membrane with it is oxidized.
So, there is a net build-up of protons on one side of the membrane (in the intermembrane space).