Respiration

• Cellular respiration is an exothermic reaction which transfers energy from glucose and is continuously occurring in living cells
• Cellular respiration


  Breaking apart glucose molecules to release the energy that's trapped inside
• How organisms use their energy

  • Building up larger molecules from smaller ones (e.g. combining amino acids to form proteins)
  • Muscular contraction for movement
  • Maintaining body temperature
• Energy is needed for loads of reactions in our cells, most of which are catalyzed by enzymes
• Metabolism


  All the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life
• Aerobic respiration


  • More common type
  • Takes place whenever there's enough oxygen
  • Most efficient way to transfer energy from glucose
  • Takes place continuously in both plants and animals
  • Takes place within mitochondria
• Aerobic respiration


  Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water
• The equation for aerobic respiration is the opposite of the equation for photosynthesis
• Anaerobic respiration


  • Respiration without oxygen
  • Used when there's not enough oxygen to keep up with the demands of aerobic respiration
  • Incomplete breakdown of glucose
  • Leads to lactic acid buildup
• Anaerobic respiration


  Glucose → Lactic acid
• Anaerobic respiration in plants and yeast

  • Glucose is converted to ethanol and carbon dioxide instead of lactic acid
  • In yeast, this process is called fermentation
  • Used to make bread, beer, and wine