2.

8- Cell Respiration:

Important Points:

 Respiration: A biochemical process that converts the chemical energy in glucose into chemical
energy in the form of ATP
 Ventilation: The physical act of inhaling and exhaling
 Gas Exchange: The transport of gases

Cell Respiration is the Controlled Release of Energy from Organic Compounds To Produce ATP
Cell Respiration is Used by All Cell to Produce ATP:

 Cells can release and use energy stored in organic molecules (such as carbohydrates)
 The energy is stored in those molecules in the form of high energy bonds, which is known as
chemical energy
 To release the energy from those molecules, the bonds need to be broken
 When energy is removed from a molecule via the breaking of the bonds, the process is called
oxidation.
 In cell respiration, slow oxidization occurs, which uses enzymes to break bonds and oxidize
molecules in a controlled manner to retain as much energy as possible in a usable form (some is
lost as heat energy).


 The energy from the breaking of these bonds may be harnessed for the cell to use, but some of
it is lost as heat.

 The process of cell respiration releases the chemical energy in the bonds of glucose in a
controlled manner and traps that energy in the form of ATP molecules.

 Glucose is the most common source of energy used for cell respiration
 However, if no glucose is available then other molecules such as fatty acids or amino acids can
also be used.

..
Glycolysis is the First Step in the Cell Respiration Process:
  Glycolysis literally translates to sugar breaking
 It is the first step in cellular respiration and it takes place in the cytoplasm (not the
mitochondria)
 It is anaerobic (does not use oxygen)

The Process of glycolysis:

1. Starts with glucose (6 carbons)
2. An enzyme modifies the glucose to make it unstable.
3. A series of reactions splits the glucose into 2
molecules of pyruvate (3 carbons each)
4. The energy from the bonds that are broken in this
process are used to generate 2 ATP molecules
 To make the glucose unstable, 2 ATP molecules are
needed
 The breaking of glucose generates 4 ATP molecules
 So, we say that 2 ATP molecules are spent, 4 are
generated and therefore there is a net gain of 2 ATP
molecules

Some Cells use Anaerobic Respiration for ATP Production:

 Cellular respiration is a universal process- all cells do it

 All cellular respiration pathways begin with glycolysis
 Some organisms are forced to generate ATP molecules entirely without oxygen
 Fermentation: The breakdown of organic molecules for ATP production anaerobically
 Anaerobic respiration will take place when there is no oxygen available
 This happens in the cytoplasm (no in the mitochondria)

Alcohol Fermentation:

 Occurs in organisms such as yeast

 The process begins with pyruvate
 It ends with alcohol and carbon dioxide
 Real world application: yeast fermentation is used to produce bread, bear and wine
 Yeast can also do aerobic respiration- this is only done when oxygen is not present

Lactic Acid Fermentation:

  Occurs in organisms such as bacteria and animals
 The process begins with pyruvate
 It ends with lactic acid
 Real world application: Production of sour cream, yogurt, cheese; causes muscle soreness after
exercise

Aerobic Cell Respiration is the Most Efficient Pathway:

 Cell Respiration Formula: C6H12O6+O2--------------- CO2+H2O+energy (ATP + Heat)

 Basic Steps:
1. Pyruvate (from glycolysis) and oxygen enter the mitochondria
2. The pyruvate is completely broken down during reactions called the Krebs cycle and
electron transport chain
3. Water, carbon dioxide and ATP are generated (along with heat)
 Aerobic Respiration= 36 ATP Anaerobic Respiration= 2 ATP