AN OVERVIEW OF AEROBIC RESPIRATION
The overall equation for aerobic respiration shows that glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen into simpler materials: carbon dioxide and water. The energy released is used to produce ATP from ADP and phosphate.

The overall equation for aerobic respiration gives the impression that it occurs in a single step. However, aerobic respiration takes place in about 20 steps, which are grouped into four stages:

1. Glycolysis
2. Formation of acetyl coenzyme A
3. The citric acid cycle
4. The electron transport chain and chemiosmosis