Question

Define respiration.

Hint:

Remember that "breathing" gets the oxygen in, but "respiration" is the chemical reaction inside your cells that actually uses the oxygen to get energy from food. It's an exothermic reaction because it releases energy.

Answer 1

Respiration is the biochemical process in which the cells of an organism obtain energy by combining oxygen and glucose, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide, water, and energy in the form of ATP.
It is a metabolic process that occurs in all living cells to release energy for various life processes. The overall chemical equation for aerobic respiration is:
\[ C_6H_{12}O_6 \text{(glucose)} + 6O_2 \text{(oxygen)} \rightarrow 6CO_2 \text{(carbon dioxide)} + 6H_2O \text{(water)} + \text{Energy (ATP)} \] It is important to distinguish this from breathing, which is the physical process of gas exchange (inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide).