What is chemiosmosis?

Chemiosmosis is a mechanism by which cells create, transfer, and use energy for various biological processes. This mechanism involves moving ions, usually protons, to the other side of a biological membrane, resulting in the generation of an electrochemical gradient. This proton gradient powers the creation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules during cellular respiration. The proton gradient also causes the ions to return passively from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.