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The learners demonstrate an understanding of respiration.
Terminologies:
● ATP- adenosine triphosphate, an energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things
● Pyruvate- a molecule that acts as the transport molecule which carries carbon atoms into the
mitochondria
● Aerobic- requiring air or oxygen for life or survival
● Anaerobic- the absence of oxygen or not requiring oxygen to live
● Autotroph- organisms that can produce their food
● Heterotroph- an organism that cannot manufacture its food and therefore derives its intake of nutrition
from other sources
Living organisms uses the chemical energy found in food in the form of carbohydrate molecules, which
can be traced from photosynthesis. Autotrophs which are energy-producing organisms such as plants can carry
out photosynthesis. On the other hand, heterotrophs such as humans and animals are organisms not capable
of photosynthesis. They require energy from food by consuming other organisms.
Inside the cells are specialized organelles that function for harvesting energy, the mitochondria. It is a
small, specialized organelle that produces energy from food by breaking down carbon-containing molecules
and releasing energy packets in the form of ATP. This provides the chemical fuel that powers the cell to do
certain processes such as moving cells and their parts and copying DNA.
Cellular respiration is the process of releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose; the cell or
organism utilizes chemical energy from nutrients to produce ATP. A cell needs to respire to produce the energy
that they require.
❖ Aerobic Respiration
Aerobic means ‘with air. This type of respiration requires oxygen to facilitate the process.
● Glycolysis
The first stage of aerobic respiration, from the word glycol, means ‘sugar’ and lysis meaning
‘to split. It occurs inside the cytoplasm and does not require oxygen. It begins by breaking down
glucose from food, but only produces a small amount of energy in the form of ATP molecules.
● Krebs Cycle
The next stage of the aerobic pathway is also known as the Citric Acid Cycle. It starts with
the end product of glycolysis, pyruvate, and involves a series of enzyme-controlled processes that
occur inside the mitochondrial matrix.
● Electron Transport Chain
The third part of the process of obtaining energy involves a series of enzyme-controlled
reactions that transfers the chemical energy present in hydrogen electrons to ATP.
❖ Anaerobic Respiration
Anaerobic respiration is the process of creating energy without the presence of oxygen. Sometimes
the body can’t supply the muscles with the oxygen it needs to create energy – such as in a sprinting
situation. Without the process of anaerobic respiration, there may be no energy supplied to muscles in
times of high demand.
Conclusion/ Summary
● Cellular respiration is a process that all living things use to convert glucose into energy.
● Cellular respiration is a collection of three unique metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle,
and the electron transport chain.
● Glycolysis is an anaerobic process, while the other two pathways are aerobic. To move from glycolysis
to the citric acid cycle, pyruvate molecules (the output of glycolysis) must be oxidized in a process
called pyruvate oxidation.