Electron Transport

Synonyms

Electron transport chain

Keywords

Electron carriers, photosynthesis, redox reactions, respiration

Definition

Electron transport refers to the transfer of electrons from an initial donor (reducing substance) to a final acceptor (oxidizing substance) across different intermediaries, which takes place in biological membranes. Electron transport processes are usually associated with respiratory and photosynthetic processes.

Overview

The most common ways by which living organisms obtain energy from their surroundings is by the oxidation of external electron donors (chemotrophic organisms), or by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation (phototrophic organisms). In both cases, the energy translation mechanisms take place in membranes (the cytoplasmic membranes in the case of prokaryotes, or subcellular particles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts in the case of eukaryotes). In the translation process, an electron transport takes place from a substance, which is an initial elect...