Oxidative phosphorylation, as it occurs in modern eukaryotes, is a complex process that probably arose in simple stages in primitive bacteria.Which mechanism is proposed to have arisen first as this complex system evolved?

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The generation of ATP from the energy of a proton gradient is likely the first step in the evolution of oxidative phosphorylation, as it is a simpler process that can occur without the need for complex protein machinery. ATP-driven proton pumps may have then evolved to establish and maintain the proton gradient, followed by electron transfers coupled to a proton pump and the reaction of oxygen with cytochrome c oxidase.

Oxidative Phosphorylation, as It Occurs in Modern Eukaryotes, Is a Complex