Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is the process that produces energy in cells. The energy is used for everything the cell does, including making new proteins, DNA, and other cellular components, and powering cell movements.

The process of cellular respiration starts with the breakdown of glucose, a sugar molecule. Glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. In the presence of oxygen, pyruvate is then broken down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide is released into the air, and the water is used by the cells to make new glucose, ATP, and other molecules.

The process of cellular respiration is powered by the energy released when glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. This energy is used to make ATP, which the cells can use for energy.

Cellular respiration is the process that cells use to convert the energy in food molecules into a form that the cell can use. The process of cellular respiration occurs in three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain.

In glycolysis, the sugar glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. Enzymes in the cell convert the pyruvate into a molecule of acetyl coenzyme A, which enters the Krebs cycle. In the Krebs cycle, the acetyl coenzyme A is converted into carbon dioxide and water. The energy in the carbon dioxide is used to create a new molecule of acetyl coenzyme A, which enters the Krebs cycle again. The Krebs cycle occurs in the mitochondria, which are the energy-producing organelles in the cell.

In the electron transport chain, the energy in the acetyl coenzyme A is used to create a molecule of ATP, which is the cell’s main energy source. The electron transport chain occurs in the mitochondria and the cytoplasm of the cell.