Cellular respiration requires 2 ATP (energy source) to start and then produces around 34 ATP. What kind of reaction is cellular respiration overall
A: Notsothermic
B: Exothermic
C: Endothermic
D: Energy is neither created, destroyed or involved in cellular respiration
B: Exothermic
The correct answer is B: Exothermic.
Cellular respiration is an exothermic reaction, which means it releases energy in the form of heat. In this process, glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which serves as the main energy currency of the cell. Although cellular respiration requires 2 ATP to start, it produces a net gain of approximately 34 ATP. This is accomplished through a series of biochemical reactions that occur in the mitochondria of cells.
Cellular respiration is an exothermic reaction. This means that it releases energy in the form of heat. To understand why cellular respiration is exothermic, let's break down the process.
Cellular respiration is a series of metabolic reactions that occur in the cells of living organisms, such as plants and animals. It is the process by which glucose, a molecule rich in chemical energy, is broken down to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the main energy currency of cells.
During cellular respiration, glucose is oxidized through a series of enzymatic reactions. The process begins with glycolysis, where one glucose molecule is converted into two molecules of pyruvate, producing a net gain of 2 ATP. This initial step requires an input of 2 ATP to start the process.
The pyruvate molecules are then further broken down in a two-step process: the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle) and the electron transport chain (ETC). These processes occur in the mitochondria of the cell.
In the Krebs cycle, the two pyruvate molecules are completely broken down, releasing more ATP through a series of chemical reactions. However, the majority of ATP production occurs in the electron transport chain (ETC). Through this process, the high-energy electrons from the breakdown of glucose move through the ETC, gradually releasing energy that is used to produce a large amount of ATP.
In total, from one molecule of glucose, cellular respiration produces approximately 34 ATP molecules. Since the overall process of cellular respiration results in the release of energy, it is considered exothermic.
To summarize, cellular respiration is an exothermic reaction because it releases energy in the form of ATP as glucose is broken down through glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain.