CELLULAR RESPIRATION

(Chemical Events)
For General Biology 1 / Grade 11
Quarter 2 / Week 5

OBJECTIVE:

K: Describe the major features of cellular respiration

S: Explain the chemical events of the cellular respiration

A: Explain the importance of Cellular respiration to our daily life.

LEARNING COMPETENCY

➢ Explain the major features and sequence the chemical events of

the cellular respiration.
STEM_BIO11/12- IIa-j-7

I. WHAT HAPPENED
Challenge Yourself

Activity 1: Essay
Direction: Answer the following question. Write your answer in the notebook.
1. Do you think your body is able to use all the glucose you have consumed in your meal? How
much is the sugar content in your average meal?
II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Cellular Respiration
 Cellular Respiration is the process that breaks down food molecules, usually in
the form of glucose, to turn into carbon dioxide and water. The chemical equation for
cellular respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 -6H2O + 6CO2. This is the reverse chemical
reaction of photosynthesis. However, it undergoes a different process. In cellular
respiration, ATP is produced to be used in all cellular processes that require energy.
This chemical equation of cellular respiration is also a redox reaction. Because
glucose has lost an electron, it is said to be oxidized. Meanwhile, oxygen has gained
some electrons, so it is said to be reduced.

Also, note that hydrogen atom is made up of a hydrogen ion and a free
electron, and thus, when these hydrogen atoms are removed from glucose, the same
happens to the electron. Similarly, when hydrogen atoms are added to oxygen, so are
the electrons.

Glucose is a high-energy molecule, whereas carbon dioxide and water are low-
energy, molecules. In the chemical equation, the breakdown of glucose to produce
carbon dioxide and water releases energy. This is the energy used in producing ATP.

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In cellular respiration in humans, up to 36 ATP molecules can be produced with the input of oxygen and
glucose in the cells.

In cellular respiration, the energy released from the breakdown of glucose

happens gradually. If the breakdown happens all the same time, so much energy will
be wasted as unused heat. Depending on certain conditions, cellular respiration can
create up to an average yield of 36-38 ATP molecules, which is about 39% of the
energy originally stored in glucose. This is already considered efficient, as compared
to other processes such as the conversion of solar energy to electricity, which is only
15% efficient.

NAD+ and FAD

These are many metabolic reactions involved in cellular respiration, and each
is catalyzed by its own enzymes. One important example is nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide ( NAD+), which is coenzyme in the redox reaction. During oxidation,
NAD+ accepts two electrons and a hydrogen ion, producing NADH. The high-energy
electrons received by NAD+ are transported to the ETC. Cells need just a little amount
of NAD+ because it is used over and over again. Another significant coenzyme in the
redox reaction is flavin adenine dinucleotide ( FAD ). Depending on the conditions
where NAD+ cannot be used, cells use FAD instead to accept two electrons and two
hydrogen ions to become FADH2. Both NAD+ and FAD are important electron carriers
(coenzymes) in cellular respiration.

NADH and FADH2 give off two hydrogen ions and two electrons upon oxidation. These electrons will play
an important role in cellular respiration later on.

Purpose of Cellular Respiration

All cells need to be able to obtain and transport energy to power

their life functions. For cells to continue living, they must be able to
operate essential machinery, such as pumps in their cell membranes
which maintain the cell’s internal environment in a way that’s suitable for
life.

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 The most common “energy currency” of cells is ATP – a molecule
which stores a lot of energy. In its phosphate bonds. These bonds can be
broken to release that energy and bring about changes to other molecules,
such as those needed to power cell membrane pumps.

Because ATP is not stable over long periods of time, it is not used
for long term energy storage. Instead, sugars and fats are used as a long-
term form of storage, and cells must constantly process those molecules to
produce newATP. This is the process of respiration.

The process of aerobic respiration produces a huge amount of ATP

from each molecule of sugar. In fact, each molecule of sugar digested by a
plant or animal cell yields 36 molecules of ATP! By comparison,
fermentation usually only produces 2-4 molecules of ATP.

Anaerobic respiration processes used by bacteria and archaebacteria

yield smaller amounts of ATP, but they can take place without oxygen.
Below, we’ll discuss how different types of cellular respiration produce
ATP.

Types of Cellular Respiration

Aerobic respiration is the process by which organisms use oxygen to

turn fuel, such as fats and sugars, into chemical energy. In contrast,
anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen.

Respiration is used by all cells to turn fuel into energy that can be used to
power cellular processes. The product of respiration is a molecule called
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which uses the energy stored in its
phosphate bonds to power chemical reactions. It is often referred to as the
“currency” of the cell.

Aerobic respiration is much more efficient, and produces ATP much more
quickly, than anaerobic respiration. This is because oxygen is an excellent
electron acceptor for the chemical reactions involved in generating ATP.

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 Source: https://biologydictionary.net/aerobic-respiration/
Overall Equation
The equation for aerobic respiration describes the reactants and products of all
of its steps, including glycolysis. That equation is:

1 glucose + 6 O2 → 6 CO2+ 6 H2O + 38 ATP

In summary, 1 molecule of six-carbon glucose and 6 molecules of oxygen are

converted into 6 molecules of carbon dioxide, 6 molecules of water, and 38
molecules of ATP.

Anaerobic respiration is the type of respiration through which cells can break
down sugars to generate energy in the absence of oxygen. This is in contrast to
the highly efficient process of aerobic respiration, which relies on oxygen to
produce energy.

Molecular oxygen is the most efficient electron acceptor for respiration, due to
its high affinity for electrons. However, some organisms have evolved to use
other final electron acceptors, and as such, can perform respiration without
oxygen.

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Source: https://biologydictionary.net/anaerobic-respiration/

Instead of oxygen, anaerobic cells use substances such as sulfate, nitrate, sulfur,
and fumarate to drive their cellular respiration. Many cells can perform either
aerobic or anaerobic respiration, depending on whether oxygen is available.