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Well it is a massively complex cascade of processes.. but a summary is this:

From a human perspective...

we ingest carbohydrates in our diets. These carbohydrates get acted upon in the gut by enzymes that release the glucose subunits.

The glucose is absorbed into the blood, and travels around thebody. A cell needs energy to work, so the glucose enters a cell and this is where cellular respiration occurs.

Glucose enters the motochondria of cells (sort ofthe cells powerplants) where a complex sequence of events takes place.. but essentially glucose reacts with oxygen (which we breath in) and results in numerous ATP molecules.. The byproducts of this reaction is water and carbon dioxide (which we breath out)...

Think of it like this.. a carbohydrate is a hydrated carbon (so water and carbon)

the carbon from the carbohydrate reacts with oxygen, causing carbon dioxide.. the water part of the carbohydrate just goes into the cell and joins the rest of the water there.

Back to ATP. It is a molecule with the ability to donate high energy phosphate groups which cells need to power nearly all of its processes, whether its allowing actin and myosin interaction (muscle contraction) or allowing joining ofmany molecules making larger ones (such as in protein synthesis).. ATP is known as the universal energy currecncy as virtually all life forms use it to power cellular processes..

this is not a detailed explanation, but I find that a lot of people don't get the basic principle of cellular respiration and this hopefully explains it.

You will now need to do more research around it.. look up things like the Krebs cycle, and the 'priming' process which is a ten step sequence priming the glucose for respiration..

Its very complex all round.. Google image the metabolic map and you get the idea. But it all makes logical sense when you get your head around it..

amazing how life works isn't it.. the sun powers the plants to make water and carbon dioxide merge into sugars... animals eat the plants, get the sugar, use them up and release water and carbon dioxide for the plants to make more sugar...

I love Biology

hope that helps a little

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14y ago

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