What are the primary energy carriers used in cellular respiration?

In cellular respiration, the primary energy carriers are indeed FADH2 and NADH. These molecules play crucial roles in the process of converting energy stored in glucose into ATP, which is the usable form of energy for the cell.

FADH2 and NADH are reduced forms of coenzymes that are produced during the glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle), and other metabolic pathways. They act as high-energy electron carriers, capturing energy from metabolic reactions and transferring it to the electron transport chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. As they donate their electrons to the chain, they facilitate the establishment of a proton gradient across the membrane, which ultimately drives the synthesis of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.

While ATP and ADP are essential in energy transfer within the cell, they do not function primarily as carriers of energy in the same way that FADH2 and NADH do in the context of cellular respiration. Coenzyme A and glucose, while important in metabolism, do not serve as the main energy carriers in the typical sense used in this pathway. Cytochrome c and oxygen are involved in electron transport but are not classified as primary energy carriers themselves. Thus, FADH2 and NADH are the