Aerobic Respiration
- Aerobic cell respiration requires oxygen and gives a large yield of ATP from glucose
- The presence of oxygen allows glucose to be broken down fully into carbon dioxide and water
- This yields far more energy (approx. 36 ATP molecules) than anaerobic respiration (2 ATP molecules) per molecule of glucose
- CO2 is a waste product and has to be excreted
- Except in plants where it is used for photosynthesis
- Water is a by-product and contributes to the organism's water needs
- Some animals that live in deserts drink very little but survive on this water
- Most of the reactions of aerobic respiration, in eukaryotes, take place in the mitochondria
Aerobic respiration releases energy during the reaction between glucose and oxygen
Comparing combustion and respiration
- There are important similarities between the burning (combustion) of fuels and the two forms of respiration
- Both require oxygen and produce CO2 and water
- Both release heat from the breakdown of chemical bonds in the fuel
Comparing Respiration and Combustion Table
