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Aerobic Respiration

Aerobic respiration is the cellular processing of energy-rich molecules, primarily glucose, are converted into carbon dioxide and water through oxidation, and the released energy is subsequently used to support life processes in the form of ATP. Unlike the oxidation of a fire or other nonorganic processes, aerobic respiration is a carefully-controlled process that works in gradated steps.

Aerobic respiration in almost every organic cell involves first the breakdown of complex sugars and carbohydrates into glucose, the simplest sugar. In mitochondria, glucose reacts with oxygen to create water, carbon dioxide, and energy. In the Krebs cycle, the energy is captured in the easily-broken, high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Once ATP is carried to appropriate spots in the cell, it is hydrolyzed. The addition of water breaks the bonds and releases energy, which enables cellular processes to go on.

Waste products from aerobic respiration include carbon dioxide and water, which are released in exhaled air, sweat, and urine in animals, and are exhaled into the air through the many surfaces of plants.

Overall, aerobic respiration is more efficient than most forms of anaerobic metabolism, such as fermentation. All prokaryotic cells use aerobic respiration to fuel their critical functions.

Web Resources On Aerobic Respiration

Aerobic Respiration as a Cellular Process
Aerobic respiration

Book Resources On Aerobic Respiration

Oxygen Uptake Kinetics in Sport, Exercise and Medicine by David Poole
Plant Respiration: From Cell to Ecosystem by Hans Lambers (Ed.)

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