In oxidative phosphorylation, the ATP production and respiratory chain are linked by

The chemiosmotic coupling hypothesis is the most accepted theory which explains the mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation. The theory states that free energy of electron transport is conserved by pumping protons (111 from mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space, so as to create an electrochemical proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The electrochemical potential of this gradient is used to synthesize ATP.