According to the chemiosmotic hypothesis, ATP synthesis is linked to the development and subsequent breakdown of a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane (Source 129, 133). This breakdown provides the energy and occurs due to the movement of protons across the membrane to the stroma through the ATP synthase channel (Source 133). The reduction of NADP to NADPH + H⁺ occurs on the stroma side (Source 132) and helps maintain the gradient by consuming protons, but it is a factual event. The statement regarding the 'breakdown of electron gradient' is incorrect because electrons are transported through an electron transport system (ETS) based on redox potentials (Source 122), not stored as a gradient to be broken down for direct ATP synthesis energy.