Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Cytochrome Oxidase

Cytochrome oxidase, more precisely cytochrome c oxidase, is the terminal enzyme of the electron transport chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it plays an essential role in cellular respiration. It catalyzes the final step in which electrons carried by cytochrome c are transferred to molecular ox…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 8 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 67× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2690-4829 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Cytochrome oxidase, more precisely cytochrome c oxidase, is the terminal enzyme of the electron transport chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it plays an essential role in cellular respiration. It catalyzes the final step in which electrons carried by cytochrome c are transferred to molecular oxygen, reducing it to water. In carrying out this reaction, the enzyme contributes to pumping protons across the membrane, helping to establish the electrochemical gradient that drives the synthesis of ATP, the cell's main energy currency. Cytochrome c oxidase is a large, multi-subunit complex containing copper and heme groups that coordinate the transfer of electrons and the binding of oxygen, and its activity is fundamental to aerobic energy production. Because it is so central to metabolism, impairment of the enzyme, whether through genetic defects, inhibitors, or other disturbances, can have serious physiological consequences, and its activity is often used as a marker of mitochondrial function. As a subject within enzymology, cytochrome oxidase exemplifies how redox Enzymes couple electron transfer to energy conservation. This page presents an encyclopedic overview of cytochrome oxidase, its structure, and its essential role in cellular respiration and energy metabolism.

Research published in this journal

8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 8 articles above have been cited 67 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cytochrome Oxidase, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Enzymes (ISSN 2690-4829).

Journal editorial board
Loredana Marcolongo · Italy Melike Caglayan · United States Daniela Vullo · Italy

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.