Cellular respiration

What are the two most important metabolic reactions that occur in living organisms?

What are the two most important metabolic reactions that occur in living organisms?

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

How is energy stored in cells?

Energy is stored in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

How is energy released from cells?

Energy is released when ATP is converted into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) by breaking a phosphate bond.

What is ATP?

ATP is a molecule that stores and transports chemical energy within cells.

Why is ATP important?

ATP serves as the primary energy currency of the cell, driving various biological processes.

How does ATP release its energy?

ATP releases energy when it loses a phosphate group, converting to ADP.

Why do cells only have enough ATP to last for a few seconds?

ATP is unstable and is quickly used up, necessitating its constant regeneration from ADP.

What do plants need for photosynthesis?

Plants need sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water for photosynthesis.

What are the products of photosynthesis?

The products of photosynthesis are glucose and oxygen; glucose is the main goal.

Write the chemical reaction for photosynthesis.

6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2.

What parts of the plant help it obtain, store, and transport water?

Roots help obtain water, while xylem transports it.

What part of the plant takes in carbon dioxide?

Stomata, small openings primarily on the underside of leaves, take in carbon dioxide.

What part of the plant captures sunlight energy?

Chlorophyll in the chloroplasts captures sunlight energy.

What are pigments? What do they do?

Pigments are molecules that absorb light, aiding in photosynthesis by capturing light energy.

What is the advantage to a plant of having several different pigments?

Different pigments allow plants to absorb a wider spectrum of light wavelengths.

Why do leaves change color in the fall?

Leaves change color due to the breakdown of chlorophyll, revealing other pigments like carotenoids.

Why is photosynthesis important?

Photosynthesis is essential as it produces oxygen and organic compounds essential for life.

What are some things that affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature can affect the rate of photosynthesis.

What do organisms need for cellular respiration?

Organisms need glucose and oxygen for cellular respiration.

What do organisms produce during cellular respiration?

Organisms produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP during cellular respiration.

Write out the balanced equation for cellular respiration.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP.

Why do organisms undergo cellular respiration?

Organisms perform cellular respiration to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP.

What are the three stages of cellular respiration?

Glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain.

What happens in glycolysis? How much energy is produced?

Glycolysis converts glucose into pyruvate, producing 2 ATP.

In what parts of the cell does respiration take place?

Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm; Krebs cycle and electron transport chain occur in the mitochondria.

What is the total amount of ATP produced from one glucose molecule during cellular respiration?

Up to 36-38 ATP can be produced from one glucose molecule.

From the cell respiration lab, what happens to the rate of cell respiration as we exercise more?

The rate of cellular respiration increases as exercise intensity increases.

When cell respiration increases, what do cells need more of?

Cells need more oxygen and glucose when respiration increases.

Why can't our bodies just rely on glycolysis for all our energy needs?

Glycolysis alone is insufficient as it produces limited ATP and no oxygen by-products.

What is pyruvate and why is it important?

Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis and serves as a key intermediate in cellular respiration.

What does the process of fermentation produce?

Fermentation produces ATP, along with either lactic acid or alcohol, depending on the organism.

What is NAD+ and why is it important?

NAD+ is a coenzyme that plays a crucial role in oxidation-reduction reactions during cellular respiration.

What happens during alcohol fermentation?

Alcohol fermentation converts glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Why do yeast perform fermentation? What do they produce?

Yeast perform fermentation to generate energy anaerobically, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide.

In the lab, what affected the rate of fermentation?

Factors such as temperature, sugar concentration, and yeast strain affected the rate of fermentation.

When do our bodies produce lactic acid? What happens when they do?

Our bodies produce lactic acid during strenuous exercise when oxygen levels are low, leading to muscle fatigue.