(2)+Cellular+respiration+-+an+overview

(1) Cellular respiration – an overview
 * What is used up?
 * What is produced?
 * Word and chemical equations
 * How can we measure respiration?
 * What are aerobic & anaerobic respiration?
 * What is an advantage and disadvantage of each?

Cellular Respiration - An overview Cellular Respiration is the conversion of food (mostly glucose) and oxygen to heat energy, CO 2, and H 2 0. The process happens in the mitochondrion. This food includes glucose, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

**What is used up and what is produced?** //During Respiration, carbon dioxide and water vapor are produced and waste in our lungs, and oxygen and glucose is being used up as energy.//

6O 2 + C 6 H 12 O 6 = 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + ATP Six oxygen and one glucose molecule are transformed into six carbon dioxide and six water molecules, creating ATP energy in the reaction. The process of cellular respiration is a very vital function in a cell. It uses the process to convert it's food into usable energy. The energy created in the reaction is known as ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). It is used for growth, movement, functioning of other organelles, and virtually every other active process in the cell. In a way, the entire respiration process is the very last step in digestion, as it changes the broken down food into smaller, useless particles, creating it's much-needed energy in the process. As you may have noticed, cellular respiration is the exact opposite of photosynthesis, which converts CO 2 and water into glucose and oxygen, using up sun energy. This allows plant cells to alternate between photosynthesis at day, when there is an abundance of light energy, and respiration at night, converting the newly-made glucose into usable energy. The only thing that is used up in this cycle is sun energy, which isn't exactly a finite resource. There are two types of respiration, the first, aerobic, is the one described above, the most common one found. It goes through a process known as Glycolysis, which involves the breaking up of glucose and oxygen. The other kind of respiration, the anaerobic one, only occur when there is a lack of oxygen. It is known as fermentation. Instead of producing CO 2 and water, it creates alcohol. This process is used to make wine and other alcoholic drinks. While aerobic respiration is more efficicient and keeps the balance of respiration and photosynthesis, as well as is safer for the cell, anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen, but creates alcohol, which, if not removed from the cell, will cause it to dry out. This alcohol is used by us for other purposes.



How can we measure respiration?

We can measure respiration using a respirometer, an instrument that measures consumption of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide, usually of an isolated tissue. Also, it can be measured by counting how many times stomach or chest rise in 15 seconds and multiplying that number by 4. This tells you the respiratory rate per minute.

Or, by using a spirometer, which is an instrument that measures the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. This is limited to measuring respiration rate of people.

media type="youtube" key="lWHx31BquBA?version=3" height="360" width="640" "Spirometry | Health | Patient UK." //Health Information and Advice | Medicines Guide | Patient.co.uk//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. [] "Respirometer - Definition from Biology-Online.org." //Life Science Reference - Biology Online//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. [] "How to Measure and Record Respiratory Rate | EHow.com." //EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the Expert in You. | EHow.com//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. []

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