Cellular respiration

(noun)

The cellular process of producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), water, and carbon dioxide from glucose and oxygen.

Related Terms

Examples of Cellular respiration in the following topics:

  • Internal Respiration

    • Cellular respiration is the metabolic process by which an organism obtains energy through the reaction of oxygen with glucose.
    • The second is the process of cellular respiration, from which cells utilize oxygen to perform basic metabolic functions.
    • The oxygen supply for cellular respiration comes from the external respiration of the respiratory system.
    • The net formula for cellular respiration is:
    • Cellular respiration can occur anaerobically without oxygen, such as through lactic acid fermentation.

  • 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.

  • Respiration and Proton Motive Force

    • Respiration is one of the key ways a cell gains useful energy to fuel cellular activity.
    • Respiration is one of the key ways a cell gains useful energy to fuel cellular activity .
    • Chemically, cellular respiration is considered an exothermic redox reaction.
    • Although technically, cellular respiration is a combustion reaction, it does not resemble one when it occurs in a living cell.
    • A diagram of cellular respiration including glycolysis, Krebs cycle (AKA citric acid cycle), and the electron transport chain.

  • 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.

  • Muscle Metabolism

    • This lactic acid accumulation in the muscle tissue reduces the pH (making it more acidic, and producing the stinging feeling in muscles when exercising) which inhibits further anaerobic respiration inducing fatigue.
    • Cellular respiration is not as rapid as the above mechanisms; however, it is required for extended periods of exercise upwards of 30 seconds.
    • Cellular respiration is limited by oxygen availability and as such lactic acid can still build up if insufficient pyruvate can enter the Krebs Cycle.
    • Cellular respiration plays a key role in returning the muscles to normal after exercise, converting the excess pyruvate into ATP and also in regenerating the stores of ATP, phosphocreatine and glycogen in the muscle required for more rapid contractions.