= Respiratory control
<Respiratory control> links mitochondrial <oxygen> consumption to demand for <ATP>. When <ADP> permits faster <ATP synthase> turnover, <proton> return lowers the opposing <electrochemical gradient>, permitting faster <Electron> transport.<Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 14, Electron-Transport Chains and Their Proton Pumps, Respiratory Control Normally Restrains Electron Flow Through the Chain]{ref}
The <mitochondrial oxygen electrode assay> tests this connection by changing <ADP> availability while observing <oxygen>. A slowed <reaction rate> alone cannot locate the cause: depleted <substrate>, scarce <oxygen>, impaired <enzymes> and a strong opposing <electrochemical gradient> can all restrict turnover. A renewed response to <ADP> helps distinguish these possibilities.
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