Oxygen metabolism

"Oxygen metabolism" is not a specific molecule, protein, receptor, enzyme, or other discrete therapeutic target. Instead, it refers broadly to the set of biochemical processes by which cells utilize molecular oxygen (\(O_2\)) for energy production and other metabolic functions. The most prominent process involving oxygen is **cellular respiration**, particularly the mitochondrial electron transport chain where oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor during oxidative phosphorylation[1][2][4][5]. This allows for efficient ATP generation from nutrients such as glucose and fatty acids. Oxygen metabolism also encompasses various enzymatic reactions outside mitochondria—such as those catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in detoxification and steroid hormone synthesis[5]. In aerobic organisms, impaired or dysregulated oxygen metabolism can contribute to numerous diseases due to its fundamental role in energy homeostasis. Because "oxygen metabolism" describes a collection of pathways rather than a single molecular entity or druggable target, it does not have an official abbreviation or canonical name suitable for structured drug-target databases. It should not be considered a direct therapeutic target but rather an essential physiological process underpinning cellular life[1][2][4]. > "Aerobic metabolism is dependent on oxidative phosphorylation... O₂ serves as the final electron acceptor for cytochrome-c oxidase... About 90% of O₂ is consumed in mitochondria"[5]. > "Cellular respiration... combine[s] oxygen with foodstuff molecules... diverting chemical energy into life-sustaining activities"[1]. In summary: "Oxygen metabolism" refers collectively to all biological processes that consume molecular oxygen; it does not represent a single molecule or receptor and thus cannot be mapped directly onto standard drug-target fields.

Other names

Oxygen metabolismMetabolism of oxygen