cellular respiration

Examples of cellular respiration in the following topics:

• Transforming Chemical Energy

  • Cellular respiration is the process of transforming chemical energy into forms usable by the cell or organism.
  • This process is called cellular respiration, a form of catabolism, and makes energy available for the cell to use.
  • The energy released by cellular respiration is temporarily captured by the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the cell.
  • The nutrients broken down through cellular respiration lose electrons throughout the process and are said to be oxidized.
  • The energy released during cellular respiration is then used in other biological processes.

• Regulatory Mechanisms for Cellular Respiration

  • Cellular respiration can be controlled at each stage of glucose metabolism through various regulatory mechanisms.
  • Various mechanisms are used to control cellular respiration.

• Food Energy and ATP

  • Animals use energy for metabolism, obtaining that energy from the breakdown of food through the process of cellular respiration.
  • ATP is produced by the oxidative reactions in the cytoplasm and mitochondrion of the cell, where carbohydrates, proteins, and fats undergo a series of metabolic reactions collectively called cellular respiration .
  • ATP is required for all cellular functions.
  • It is produced through various pathways during the cellular respiration process, with each making different amounts of energy.

• The Energy Cycle

  • Finally, in the process of breaking down food, called cellular respiration, heterotrophs release needed energy and produce "waste" in the form of CO2 gas.
  • Photosynthesis absorbs light energy to build carbohydrates in chloroplasts, and aerobic cellular respiration releases energy by using oxygen to metabolize carbohydrates in the cytoplasm and mitochondria.
  • Aerobic respiration consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide.
  • These two powerhouse processes, photosynthesis and cellular respiration, function in biological, cyclical harmony to allow organisms to access life-sustaining energy that originates millions of miles away in the sun.
  • Aerobic respiration consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide.

• Importance of Glycolysis

  • Glycolysis is the first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy for cellular metabolism.
  • Glycolysis is the first of the main metabolic pathways of cellular respiration to produce energy in the form of ATP .
  • Glycolysis is the first pathway of cellular respiration that oxidizes glucose molecules.

• Metabolism of Carbohydrates

  • Organisms break down carbohydrates to produce energy for cellular processes, and photosynthetic plants product carbohydrates.
  • When these molecules are broken down during metabolism, the energy in the chemical bonds is released and can be harnessed for cellular processes.
  • The breakdown of glucose during metabolism is call cellular respiration can be described by the equation:
  • In plants, glucose is stored in the form of starch, which can be broken down back into glucose via cellular respiration in order to supply ATP.
  • Both plants and animals (like this squirrel) use cellular respiration to derive energy from the organic molecules originally produced by plants

• Anaerobic Cellular Respiration

  • Some prokaryotes and eukaryotes use anaerobic respiration in which they can create energy for use in the absence of oxygen.
  • During cellular respiration, some living systems use an organic molecule as the final electron acceptor.
  • Both methods are called anaerobic cellular respiration, where organisms convert energy for their use in the absence of oxygen.
  • Certain prokaryotes, including some species of bacteria and archaea, use anaerobic respiration.
  • Eukaryotes can also undergo anaerobic respiration.

• ATP Yield

  • The amount of energy (as ATP) gained from glucose catabolism varies across species and depends on other related cellular processes.
  • In a eukaryotic cell, the process of cellular respiration can metabolize one molecule of glucose into 30 to 32 ATP.

• Electrons and Energy

  • The transfer of electrons between molecules via oxidation and reduction allows the cell to transfer and use energy for cellular functions.
  • The transfer of electrons between molecules via oxidation and reduction is important because most of the energy stored in atoms is in the form of high-energy electrons; it is this energy that is used to fuel cellular functions.
  • In living systems, a small class of molecules functions as electron shuttles: they bind and carry high-energy electrons between compounds in cellular pathways.
  • The molecule NADH is critical for cellular respiration and other metabolic pathways.

• The Carbon Cycle

  • These chemical bonds store this energy for later use in the process of respiration.
  • Heterotrophs acquire the high-energy carbon compounds from the autotrophs by consuming them and breaking them down by respiration to obtain cellular energy, such as ATP.
  • The most efficient type of respiration, aerobic respiration, requires oxygen obtained from the atmosphere or dissolved in water.
  • The large numbers of land animals raised to feed the earth's growing population results in increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere due to farming practices, respiration, and methane production.
  • Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide gas to organic carbon, while respiration cycles the organic carbon back into carbon dioxide gas.