A type of cellular respiration in which food is completely oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, with the release of chemical energy, in a process requiring atmospheric oxygen. The oxygen performs the role of terminal electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, and the reaction can be summarized by the equation:
The chemical energy released is stored mainly in the form of ATP. Most organisms have aerobic respiration (i.e. they are aerobes); exceptions include certain bacteria, archaea, and yeasts. Using the alternative respiratory pathway, many plants can respire aerobically without conserving energy as ATP.