Oxidative Phosphorylation & ATP Synthesis — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2016Oxidative phosphorylation is: NEET 2016
Oxidative phosphorylation is: NEET 2016
Answer & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: D — ATP formation from electron energy
Oxidative phosphorylation is the process where ATP is synthesized using energy released from electron transport through the electron transport chain. According to NCERT, electrons from NADH and FADH2 release energy as they pass through complexes, which pumps protons creating gradient. ATP synthase uses this electrochemical energy to phosphorylate ADP to ATP. It's not substrate-level phosphorylation, ATP oxidation, or phosphate addition to ATP.
Read more NCERT concept on the PYQ
The electrons, as they move through the system, release enough energy that are trapped to synthesise ATP. This is called oxidative phosphorylation. In this process O₂ is the ultimate acceptor of electrons and it gets reduced to water.
Oxidative phosphorylation couples electron transport with ATP synthesis in the mitochondrial inner membrane. As electrons move through the ETS, their energy is used to pump protons, creating a gradient that drives ATP synthase—not the electrons directly making ATP. Students often confuse this with substrate-level phosphorylation or think electrons themselves form ATP bonds. Remember: O₂ is the final electron acceptor, accepting electrons and H⁺ to form water. The key is that electron energy is trapped in a proton gradient, which then powers ATP synthesis. This energetics concept is fundamental to NEET's focus on cellular respiration efficiency.
What does NCERT say about electrons as they move?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.