Oxidative phosphorylation

NADH and FADH2 are oxidised the released hydrogen atoms split into H+ ions and electrons the electrons move down the ETC via electron carriers releasing energy along the chain this released energy is used to actively pump H+ from the matrix into the intermembrane space an electrochemical gradient is formed because the H+ concentration is higher in the intermembrane space than the matrix the H+ ions move down the electrochemical gradient back into the matrix via ATP synthase the movement of the ions provides the energy needed to form ATP from ADP and Pi; this is known as chemiosmosis at the end of the ETC the H+, electrons and O2 from blood combine to form water and oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor