What Is the Energy From Respiration Used For?

Cellular respiration is a vital bodily process necessary for overall health and functioning. It's a fundamental part of the body's metabolism that converts the foods we eat into energy. In humans, this process is also known as aerobic respiration because the presence of oxygen is required for certain types of metabolism to take place.

Identification

• Respiration uses four metabolic pathways to convert glucose molecules into cell fuels. Each one helps to store and transfer energy supplies, while working to break down carbon molecules in the process. The steps involved are all triggered by chemical reactions caused by enzymes. The energy created once glucose is broken down is stored in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules within the cell.

Process

• Glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, the electron transport chain and the synthesis of acetyl-CoA are the 4 metabolic pathways involved in aerobic respiration. Glucose, carbon dioxide and water are the end products of this process. Once completed, each molecule of glucose is able to produce up to 34 molecules of ATP. Respiratory functions within the cell are but part of the overall metabolic process. And while ATP production does require oxygen, glycolysis, or the breakdown of glucose, does not. Both aerobic and anaerobic processes are needed in order for cells to convert needed nutrients into usable energy sources.

Function

• Respiration is a continuous cellular process that keeps individual cells alive and functioning. As far as energy conversion systems go, it's highly efficient, converting 40 percent of glucose's energy into ATP. The remainder is released as heat that's used to warm the body. ATP molecules then work towards growing, dividing and repairing cell bodies.

  The energy created by respiration also contributes to the production of DNA, RNA, amino acids, antibiotics and pheromones within the cells. These are complex molecules---also called metabolites---that result from a process called biosynthesis. ATP molecules provide the fuel needed to convert simple cell molecules into metabolites.

Features

• The molecular structure of ATP plays a significant role in how energy is stored, used and recycled during respiration. ATP is made up of a carboyhydrate (ribose), a nucleic acid base(adenine) and three phosphate groups, or ions. Energy is released when one of its phosphate groups breaks off from the molecule. ATPase (adneosine triphosphatase) is the enzyme that breaks down ATP.

Components

• Because of ATP's ability to save and story energy as needed, it's considered the currency of the all cells. Its added ability to recycle itself within the respiration process ensures cells a continuous supply of this needed molecule. It does this through its interaction with the ATPase enzyme. This enzyme breaks ATP down into ADP and phosphate components which serve as cell fuels. This process also has a built-in feature that allows the byproducts from these components to recombine to form new ATP molecules.