7: Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
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Learning Objectives
- Understand how the process of cellular respiration converts glucose into usable energy, carbon dioxide, and water
- Explain why some organisms do fermentation instead of cellular respiration, even though this produces less usable energy
- Identify stages in cellular respiration where ATP is used and where it is produced
- Calculate net ATP produced from a single glucose molecule
- Make predictions about the rate of fermentation under different conditions
Cells convert glucose into usable energy (ATP) through cellular respiration, which includes glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. In low oxygen, some organisms use fermentation, producing less ATP. ATP powers cell functions, and experiments show how factors like temperature affect fermentation. Both autotrophs and heterotrophs rely on these processes to release energy.