Identify the reactants and products of cellular respiration and where these reactions occur in a cell

Now that we’ve learned how autotrophs like plants convert sunlight to sugars, let’s take a look at how all eukaryotes—which includes humans!—make use of those sugars.

In the process of photosynthesis, plants and other photosynthetic producers create glucose, which stores energy in its chemical bonds. Then, both plants and consumers, such as animals, undergo a series of metabolic pathways—collectively called cellular respiration. Cellular respiration extracts the energy from the bonds in glucose and converts it into a form that all living things can use.

What You’ll Learn to Do

• Describe the process of glycolysis and identify its reactants and products
• Describe the process of pyruvate oxidation and identify its reactants and products
• Describe the process of the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) and identify its reactants and products
• Describe the respiratory chain (electron transport chain) and its role in cellular respiration

Learning Activities

The learning activities for this section include the following:

• Glycolysis
• Pyruvate Oxidation
• Citric Acid Cycle
• Electron Transport Chain
• ATP & Respiration
• Self Check: Cellular Respiration