Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is when oxygen releases energy that is stored in nutrient molecules,
such as glucose (Scott and Fong 347). Scott and Fong said, Energy is released in the form of
heat to maintain body temperature, but some of the energy is used by cells to carry on other vital
processes (347). When food is oxidized it gives off carbon dioxide and water (Scott and Fong
347). Cellular respiration produces adenosine triphosphate which is a high energy molecule, and
is expended by working cells (About.com).
Cellular respiration occurs in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells (About.com). A
eukaryotic cell is any organism whose cells contain a nucleus and other structures enclose within
membranes (Kenyon.edu). A prokaryotic cell is a cell that lacks a membrane-bound nucleus and
is smaller than a eukaryotic cell (Kenyon.edu).
There are three stages of cellular respiration: Glycolysis, Citric Acid cycle, and Electron
transport (Src.gov). According to About.com, glucose is a six carbon sugar that is split into two
molecules of a three carbon sugar; glycolysis means splitting sugars, Src.gov states that
glycolysis happens in the cytoplasm and can occur with or without oxygen, but with oxygen
glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration. Without oxygen, glycolysis allows cells to
make small amounts of adenosine triphosphate, this process is called fermentation (Src.gov).
Fermentation is a process that converts sugar to acids, gases and/or alcohol, it occurs in yeast
and bacteria, but also in oxygen-starved muscle cells, says About.com.
The second step is Citric Acid cycle and it starts after glycolysis is turned into a different
compound which is acetyl CoA (About.com). Through a series of steps, several compounds
capable of storing high energy electrons are produced along with two adenosine triphosphate
molecules, these compounds, known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and Flavin adenine
dinucleotide, are reduced in the process and these reduced forms carry the high energy electrons
to the next stage(About.com). According to src.gov, the Citric Acid cycle occurs in the
mitochondria matrix and occurs only when oxygen is present. The Citric acid cycle does not use
oxygen directly"(About.com).
The third step is Electron transport. Electron transport is a series of electron carriers in
the membrane of the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells (About.com). According to Src.gov, the
electrons move within molecules until they combine with oxygen and hydrogen ions to form
water. Through a series of reactions, the high energy electrons are passed to oxygen, in the
process, a gradient is formed, and ultimately adenosine triphosphate is produced.
Some comparisons between cellular respiration and photosynthesis is they both use food
as energy. According to Answers.com they both involve the exchange between oxygen and
carbon dioxide. Both cellular respiration and photosynthesis transform energy in one way or
another-either by storing or releasing energy (Answers.com). Cellular respiration and
photosynthesis both need some type of energy to survive.