What are the products formed as a result of the electron transport chain?

In the context of cellular respiration, particularly during oxidative phosphorylation in the electron transport chain, the products formed include NAD+, FADH2, and ATP. As electrons are transferred through a series of protein complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane, they provide energy to pump protons across the membrane, creating a proton gradient. This gradient is then used by ATP synthase to produce ATP.

NADH and FADH2 serve as electron carriers that donate electrons to the electron transport chain. Upon transferring their electrons, NADH is oxidized to NAD+, and FADH2 is oxidized to FAD. This step is crucial because it recycles these coenzymes, allowing glycolysis and the Krebs cycle to continue functioning.

The significant outcome of this process is the generation of ATP, primarily through chemiosmosis, with the complete oxidation of one glucose molecule yielding approximately 30-34 ATP, depending on the efficiency of the transport mechanisms and the specific cell types involved. Thus, NAD+, FAD, and ATP are the correct products produced in this part of cellular respiration.