Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is the process in which oxygen (O₂) is used to release the energy stored in glucose (C₆H₁₂0₆)

Cellular respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis

Cellular respiration doesn’t happen in chloroplasts. Cellular respiration can only happen in plant cells. Animal cells do not have chloroplasts.  In animals, cellular respiration happens in the mitochondria which is the powerhouse of the cells.

Mitochondria is one of many organelles found in both plan and animal cells. The site of cellular respirations. It is where cellular respiration takes place. Similar to photosynthesis it has reactants and products. The reactants in cellular respiration are oxygen and glucose. Oxygen reaches the mitochondria when we breath in through our lungs, plants use their stomata. Plants can make their own glucose, and animals must eat foods.

The products in cellular respiration are energy, carbon dioxide and water. The energy is now ready to use for life process including breathing, eating, and growing. Animals release carbon dioxide through their lungs, plants release carbon dioxide through their stomata. While animals can excrete water through waste water (sweat or urinating) most is excreted through mouths as water vapor. Plants excrete water through transpiration by using stomata.

Cellular respiration C₆H₁₂O₆+ O₂ --> Energy (ATP) + 6CO₂ +6H₂O. This is like the photosynthesis equation but backwards.

Cellular respiration doesn’t need sunlight so happens in animals all the time. That is why we need to constantly breath since cells need energy that can only get by breathing

ATP: Used by the organisms as energy to do life processes

Water (H₂O): Released through the stomata as water vapor or exhaled

Oxygen (O₂₎ is taken through the stomata or inhaled

Glucose Sugar (C₆H₁₂O₆): Stored in plant or ingested eaten