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Electron Transport Chain

NADH and FADH2 feed electrons through Complexes I-IV, pumping protons that drive ATP synthase to produce ~28-30 ATP per glucose.

A free, animated electron transport chain you can read here or embed on any website, from Scrollchart.

Electron Transport Chain

Electron Transport ChainIntermembrane space (high H+)Matrix (low H+)

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The inner mitochondrial membrane with Complexes I, II, III, IV pumping H+ into the intermembrane space, ubiquinone and cytochrome-c shuttling electrons, and ATP synthase using the proton gradient to phosphorylate ADP. Final electron acceptor: O2 forming H2O.

Good for

  • Mitochondrial-biology deep dives
  • Metformin mechanism articles
  • Aging and mitochondrial-decline content

Source & accuracy

This electron transport chain is an editorial illustration built to represent the concept accurately. Where it shows figures, they are typical or representative values chosen to make the relationship clear, not a single underlying dataset. The diagram and its explainer are reviewed and maintained centrally, and updated over time as understanding improves.

Moving electrons to pump protons

The electron transport chain is a series of complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane. NADH donates electrons at Complex I and FADH2 at Complex II. Electrons pass through ubiquinone (coenzyme Q), Complex III, cytochrome c, and Complex IV, where they finally reduce molecular oxygen to water. As electrons move, Complexes I, III, and IV pump protons into the intermembrane space.

This builds an electrochemical proton gradient. Protons flow back through ATP synthase (Complex V), and that flow drives the phosphorylation of ADP to ATP, a process called oxidative phosphorylation.

Why the ATP yield is given as a range

Older texts cited 36 to 38 ATP per glucose, but accounting for the cost of shuttling NADH into mitochondria and proton leak, modern estimates place the total nearer 28 to 30 ATP. The figure is an approximation rather than a fixed number because proton-to-ATP ratios are not whole integers and some gradient energy is used for transport and lost as heat.

Embed this diagram

Add this animated electron transport chain to your own site. Copy one line of HTML, or use the embed builder for theme and sizing options.

Reference

What this is
A free, embeddable, animated electron transport chain for any website.
Who uses it
Medical educators, Biology educators, Biohacker blogs.
How to embed
Copy one line of HTML. No signup. No watermark. Works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, plain HTML.
File size
iframe embed, ~80 KB gzipped (loads on demand, does not block your page paint).
License
Free forever. Editorial explainer text included; updated centrally over time.
URL
scrollchart.com/diagram/electron-transport-chain

Embed format options

Copy the universal HTML snippet, the WordPress shortcode, or an iframe fallback - see the WordPress plugin page for details. Any format keeps the same Core Web Vitals profile and the same explainer text.

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Frequently asked questions

Where can I get a free animated "Electron Transport Chain" for my website?
Scrollchart provides "Electron Transport Chain" as a free, embeddable animated diagram you can add to any website with one line of HTML. No signup is required and there is no watermark. The diagram and its explainer text are served from scrollchart.com, so the embed stays current without any maintenance on your end.
How do I embed a electron transport chain diagram in a health or wellness blog?
Copy the HTML snippet from the Scrollchart diagram page and paste it into any post or page in your CMS. It works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, and plain HTML without any plugin or account. The diagram renders as animated SVG directly in your page, so search engines can index the accompanying explainer text.
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