Cellular Respiration Research Paper

Cellular Respiration & Photosynthesis

Cellular Respiration

As living things we all need energy to function and we get it from all food we eat. Cells

get the energy from stored food through cellular respiration, an easy way for them to get

ATP. ATP is an energy molecule. There are three phases of cellular respiration:

glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport.

Phases #1: Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the phase where sugar (glucose) is split into two molecule of a three

carbon sugar. It doesn’t need oxygen to do so, but splitting the sugar will take longer the

less oxygen. The process is called fermentation.

Phase #2: Citric Acid Cycle

The Citric Acid Cycle begins after the two molecules are produced in the phase before

are …show more content…
Differently from the Glycolysis, this phase only

occurs when oxygen is present.

Phase #3: Electron Transport

The electron transport makes a chain out of a series of electron carriers in the

mitochondria. Through a bunch of reactions, the high energy electrons are passed to

oxygen, and in this process a gradient is formed, making even more ATP. Differently

from the Citric Acid Cycle, which doesn’t use oxygen directly, this phase does.

Below this there is an image of how the overall cellular respiration works:

Photosynthesis:

Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use the energy of the sun to make carbon

dioxide and water into carbohydrates. In the process they release oxygen which makes

alive. The photosynthesis had only two phases, a lot shorter than the cellular respiration,

but just as important. These phases are called light dependent and light independent

Light dependent reaction:

During this reaction, the plants use energy from the sun to make ATP and NADPH,

which later are used to provide energy for the making of glucose. ATP and NADPH are

usually initiated by green colored pigments, that’s why plants make them.

Light independent

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