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Exploration Activity ?
All living cells, including the cells in your body and the cells in yeast, need energy for cellular processes such as
pumping molecules into or out of the cell or synthesizing needed molecules. ATP is a special molecule which
provides energy in a form that cells can use for cellular processes.
Cellular respiration is the process that cells use to transfer energy from the organic molecules in food to ATP.
The following equation summarizes the chemical changes that occur in cellular respiration of the sugar glucose
when oxygen is available.
C6H1206+60₂-6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Energy
glucose oxygen gas carbon dioxide water
ATP
The chemical reactions in cellular respiration are similar to the chemical reactions when organic compounds are
burned, but of course no ATP is produced. Instead energy is released in the form of light and heat. The
following equation shows the chemical changes that occur when the sugar glucose is burned.
C6H1206+6 0₂6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Energy
glucose oxygen gas carbon dioxide water
light and heat
1. What are the similarities between the equations above?
2. What is the difference between these equations?