Cellular Respiration

Whenever you feel tired, eating an apple or slice of bread can energize you instantly. But how does this food provide energy? The process by which cells obtain energy from the food is called cellular respiration.

When you eat plants or foods made from them, the starch from the plant sources is broken down into simple sugar called glucose in our digestive system.

Once inside the cell, through cellular respiration, glucose in the presence of oxygen is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. This process releases the energy stored in glucose, which is transferred into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

One complete respiration can produce 36 to 38 ATP molecules from just one glucose molecule.

ATP is the cell's energy currency, providing energy for activities like muscle movement and brain signals.

When ATP loses energy, it releases a phosphate molecule and becomes adenosine diphosphate or ADP. Cells can convert ADP back to ATP, which stores energy.

Not only plant sources, but, a variety of food sources such as eggs, meat and milk can also provide energy.