The chemiosmotic coupling hypothesis of oxidative phosphorylation proposes that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is formed because
1
a proton gradient forms across the inner mitochondrial membrane
2
there is a change in the permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane towards adenosine diphosphate (ADP)
3
high energy bonds are formed in mitochondrial proteins
4
ADP is pumped out of the matrix into the intermembrane space.