ROLE OF OXYGEN IN CELLULAR

RESPIRATION
For General Biology 1/ Grade 11
Quarter 2 / Week 7

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 FOREWORD

This self-learning kit (SLK) in General Biology 1 is made

to help you continue your learning about the different major
features of glycolysis, Krebs cycle, electron transport system,
and chemiosmosis.

It is our sincere aim to provide you with relevant

activities, exercises, and assessment that we believe would be
necessary in order for you to acquire the appropriate
information about the different major features of glycolysis,
Krebs cycle, electron transport system, and chemiosmosis.

Furthermore, this is made to help you enhance and

deepen your learning about adenosine triphosphate or ATP
and how it is produced and consumed. This would also
expound the concept of the role of oxygen in respiration and
describe pathways of electron flow in the absence of oxygen.

The activities in this SLK are easily and carefully made

for you to enjoy while learning. Your eager and active
involvement in all these activities will really make a difference
for you.

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 OBJECTIVES:

K: Define oxygen, cellular respiration, and aerobic respiration

S: Describe pathways of electron flow in the absence of
oxygen
A: Appreciate the value of oxygen in our lives by giving its
importance

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

Describe the role of oxygen in respiration and describe pathways of

electron flow in the absence of oxygen (STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-10)

I. WHAT HAPPENED

We know that we need oxygen to live.

But why? This oxygen is an essential component
for the optimal production of usable energy
which occurs through cellular respiration.

Respiratory System
Source: https://www.google.com.ph/se
arch?q=role+of+oxygen+in+respiration+
and+describe+pathways&source=lnms&
tbm

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PRE-ACTIVITY
Directions: Follow the breathing exercise for five times and answer the
questions that follow.

Source: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=role+of+oxygen+in+respiration+and+describe+pathways&so
urce=lnms

Take a deep breath in and gently exhale for five times. Every day, all
day and all night, our lungs inhale and exhale air.

Questions:

A. What gas did you inhale? ______________

B. What gas did you exhale? ______________

C. What system in your body is responsible for breathing?

___________________

D. What do you call the process of breathing in and out?

________________

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II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
DISCUSSION

Many people would answer that oxygen is needed to make

carbon dioxide, the gas exhaled or released by each of the respiratory
systems listed above. However, CO2 is a waste product.
There must be more to this story than just gas exchange with the
environment. You know that humans deprived of oxygen for more than
a few minutes will quickly become unconscious and die. Oxygen is the
final electron acceptor of the electron transport chain in the final step
of cellular respiration. Oxygen combines with electrons and hydrogen
ions to produce water.
Breathing, also known as respiration, is essential for human life,
because the body cannot store oxygen for later use as it does food.
Respiration rate correlates with energy use, and that correlation reflects
the link between oxygen and energy metabolism.
For this reason, the chemical process inside your cells that
consume oxygen to produce usable energy is known as cellular
respiration. During this process, energy is converted from glucose, in the
presence of oxygen, into numerous ATP molecules. The glucose, of
course, comes from the food you eat. In biological terms, you do not
eat because you are hungry, you eat to get energy.
Cellular Respiration

Source: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=role+of+oxygen+in+respiration+and+desc
ribe+pathways&source=lnms&tbm

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 Cellular respiration is the process cells use to make energy. Our
body cells need oxygen to do this process, although other organisms,
like yeast or bacteria, don't always need it. Cellular respiration can
occur both aerobically (using oxygen) or anaerobically (without
oxygen).

All body cells engage in cellular respiration. They use oxygen and
glucose, a sugar found in the foods we eat and convert them to ATP
(adenosine triphosphate), or cellular energy, and carbon dioxide.
Although this process can be represented by a single equation, there
are actually many small steps that take place before we actually use
oxygen to get ATP.

The three stages of aerobic cellular respiration are glycolysis (an

anaerobic process), the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Aerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration refers to the metabolic pathways by which

organisms break down glucose to produce ATP. Respiration involves
four different pathways, each pathway feeding into the next.
Ultimately, respiration results in the complete oxidation of glucose and
the transfer of energy from the chemical bonds of glucose to the
chemical bonds of ATP.

Aerobic respiration happens in the presence of oxygen. In the

absence of oxygen, some organisms go through a process called
fermentation, which allows them to produce energy under anaerobic
conditions. Fermentation produces relatively less energy than
respiration, because fermentation does not result in the complete
oxidation of glucose.

Source:
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=inhale+and+exhale+exercise&tbm=isch&ved=2ah
UKEwizt7zulNTrAhVI5pQKHfVjDOgQ2-
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Aerobic vs. Anaerobic respiration

Aerobic Anaerobic

Reactants Glucose and oxygen Glucose

Products ATP, water, CO2 ATP and lactic acid (animals); or

ATP, ethanol, and CO2 (yeast)

Location Cytoplasm (glycolysis) and Cytoplasm

mitochondria

Stages Glycolysis (anaerobic), Krebs Glycolysis, fermentation

cycle, oxidative phosphorylation

ATP Large amount (36 ATP) Small amount (2 ATP)

produced

Metabolic Pathways

Metabolism refers to the sum total of the biochemical reactions

that take place within an organism. Metabolic reactions are useful
primarily for two reasons: 1) they allow energy to be stored, transferred
or released in useable amounts, and 2) they synthesize and break
down important carbon molecules, such as the 12 key intermediates
and macromolecules. Metabolic pathways occur in a series of enzyme-
catalyzed steps, so that small amounts of energy are invested or
released at each step. In addition, having multiple steps makes it
possible to more effectively control a pathway and allows more
flexibility to link to other metabolic pathways.

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 Source: https://webpages.uidaho.edu/hartzell/biol115/t4_energy/lesson1.htm

Electron Transport Phosphorylation

NADH and FADH2 carry electrons to specialized cell membranes,

where they are harvested to create ATP. Once the electrons are used,
they become depleted and must be removed from the body. Oxygen
is essential for this task. Used electrons bind with oxygen; these
molecules eventually bind with hydrogen to form water.

ACTIVITY
Directions: Compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic
respiration using a VENN DIAGRAM. (15 points)

AEROBIC RESPIRATION ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

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III. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Directions: Read each item carefully and write your answer in your
notebook.

________________ 1. What system is responsible for inhaling oxygen and

exhaling carbon dioxide?
________________ 2. What is present in aerobic respiration that cannot
be found in anaerobic respiration?
________________ 3. The three stages of aerobic cellular respiration
are glycolysis (an anaerobic process), the Krebs cycle, and...?
________________ 4. It is the final electron acceptor of the electron
transport chain in the final step of cellular respiration.
_________________5. It refers to the sum total of the biochemical
reactions that take place within an organism.
_________________6. It occurs in a series of enzyme-catalyzed steps, so
that small amounts of energy are invested or released at each step.

7-10. Metabolic reactions are useful primarily for two reasons: (2 points
each)
A. _________________________

B. _________________________

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SYNOPSIS

This self-learning kit (SLK) focuses on

the role of oxygen in respiration and the
pathways of electron flow in
the absence of oxygen. It elaborates on
the presence and absence of oxygen.

This SLK provides various activities

that will deepen learners’ understanding
on the lesson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MA. OFELIA I. BUSCATO, RN, LPT is a Registered Nurse and a

Licensed Professional Teacher. She is currently teaching in
the Senior High School Department at Ong Che Tee
Bacong High School, Sacsac, Bacong, Negros Oriental.
She completed her Comprehensive Academic
Requirements (CAR) in Master of Education major in
General Science at Foundation University.

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PDO

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Librarian

MA. OFELIA I. BUSCATO

Writer

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MA. OFELIA I. BUSCATO
THOMAS JOGIE U. TOLEDO
JOAN Y. BUBULI, EDD.
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DISCLAIMER
The information, activities and assessments used in this material are designed to provide accessible learning
modality to the teachers and learners of the Division of Negros Oriental. The contents of this module are carefully
researched, chosen, and evaluated to comply with the set learning competencies. The writers and evaluator were
clearly instructed to give credits to information and illustrations used to substantiate this material. All content is
subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent from the division.

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