Which of the following is the most efficient and abundant means of ATP production in eukaryotic cells?

Explain oxidative phosphorylation: This process occurs in the mitochondria and involves the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. Electrons are transferred through protein complexes, creating a proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The enzyme ATP synthase uses this gradient to produce ATP. This is the most efficient method of ATP production in eukaryotic cells.

Compare oxidative phosphorylation to other methods: Substrate-level phosphorylation produces ATP directly during specific steps of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle but is less efficient. Fermentation is an anaerobic process that generates ATP without oxygen but produces far less ATP. Glycolysis is the initial step of glucose metabolism and generates ATP, but it is not as efficient as oxidative phosphorylation.