THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE

Cell Respiration
Plants make their food,
heterotrophs eat plants or
eat other heterotrophs.
Every living cell must
carry out cell respiration
in order to convert food
energy into a form that
can be used within the
cell.
Cells require energy for
synthesizing large
molecules like DNA, RNA,
and proteins; pumping
molecules or ions across
membranes by active
transport; moving things
around inside the cell,
such as the protein fibers
that cause muscle
contraction.
The useable energy for
these processes is a
molecule called ATP.
Plants make their food
using photosynthesis.
Consumers get that
energy by eating
plants or eating other
consumers that ate
plants.
Food is broken down
and its energy is
stored in cells in a
molecule called ATP.

ATP – the
molecule that
cells use for
energy. ATP is
directly-
useable energy
for cells!
 After organisms make
or eat food it is broken
down and the energy
from the food is stored
in the cells in a
compound called
adenosine triphosphate
(ATP).
Cell respiration is the
process of breaking
down food and
converting its energy to
ATP.

Tri = 3
3 phosphates held together
by covalent bonds
 ATP is like a fully
charged battery.
It has energy in the
covalent bonds.

covalent bonds
 How is energy used or released?
The bond between the second and third phosphate
breaks and releases energy that can be used.
Now the “battery”
needs to be re-
charged.

Now we don’t have 3 phosphates so we

can’t call it Adenosine TRIphosphate
(ATP) anymore.
It is now an Adenosine DIphosphate
(ADP) molecule. ADP is like a low battery.
When we eat more food, or when a plant makes
more food, the battery is re-charged by the
process of cell respiration.
 Lose

Gain
Cell respiration –
using energy from
glucose (food) in
cells to make ATP.
Where does cellular
respiration occur?
In the MIGHTY
MITOCHONDRIA.
Mitochondria
produce useable
energy.

Mitochondria
– produce
energy (ATP)
from food
through cell
respiration.
 The cell respiration equation:

C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 2 ATPs → 6CO2 + 6H20 + 36 ATP

Glucose + oxygen + a little energy → Carbon dioxide + water + LOTS
of energy

Reactants Products
Glucose

Black - carbon atoms

Red - oxygen atoms
Blue - hydrogen atoms
Yellow - chemical bond
ATP energy
Purple - adenosine
molecule
Green - phosphate
ADP molecules
The first step in cell
respiration is glycolysis.

Glycolysis - glucose
is broken down into
two pyruvates with a
net yield of 2 ATPs.
This step occurs in
the cytoplasm of the
cell.
Glycolysis releases ~10% of
the energy from the food. It
requires 2 ATPs to start the
reaction.
After glycolysis, respiration goes in 1 of
2 directions. If O2 is present the
pyruvates move into a mitochondrion
where aerobic respiration takes place. If
no O2 is present anaerobic cell
respiration is completed in the
cytoplasm.

Aerobic – Uses oxygen

Anaerobic – No oxygen

KEY: During anaerobic

cell respiration
(fermentation) pyruvate
can be converted in the
cytoplasm after
glycolysis into lactate
(humans) or ethanol
and carbon dioxide
(yeast) with no further
yield of ATP.
Aerobic cell
respiration and
fermentation
(anaerobic) both
start with
glycolysis in the
cytoplasm of the
cell.
The entire
fermentation
process occurs in
the cytoplasm.
When oxygen is
present, aerobic
cell respiration
continues in a
mitochondrion.

Draw and label a

mitochondrion.
There are 3 steps
in aerobic cell
respiration:
1. Glycolysis
2. Krebs Cycle
3. Electron
Transport
Chain
The first step in aerobic cell
respiration is glycolysis,
which yields ~2ATPs and 2
pyruvates (AKA pyruvic acid)
Glycolysis releases ~10% of
the energy from the food. It
requires 2 ATPs to start the
reaction.
If O2 is present the
pyruvates will move into
the matrix of a
mitochondrion and begin
the Krebs cycle.

Krebs cycle – in
the matrix of a
mitochondrion
the pyruvates
break down into
CO2, ATP, and
high energy
electrons.
Electron transport
chain – in the inner
mitochondrial
membrane high
energy electrons
from the Krebs
cycle convert ADP
into ATP.
At the end of the
chain oxygen and
H+ accept the
electrons forming
H2O, which is
released. This
keeps the flow of
electrons going.
KEY: During
aerobic cell
respiration,
pyruvate can
be broken
down in a
mitochondrion
into CO2, H2O
and a large
yield of ATP.
 Comparing
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Function: Make food
Location: Chloroplasts
Reactants: CO2 + H2O
Products: C6H12O6 + O2
CELLULAR RESPIRATION
Function: Make ATP using food
Location: Mitochondria
Reactants: C6H12O6 + O2
Products: CO2 + H2O

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (C.R.) are opposites. The

reactants of Photosynthesis are the products of C.R.
The reactants of C.R. are the products of Photosynthesis!
The End