Question

Remember the law of conservation of matter. The human body uses cellular respiration to release energy from food. Recall the reactants and products of the process of cellular respiration. Using the chemical equation for cellular respiration, explain how the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide inhaled by the lungs is different from the amounts exhaled. Explain your answer in 1-2 sentences.(

Answer 1

The chemical equation for cellular respiration is:

\[ \text{C}6\text{H}{12}\text{O}_6 + 6 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 6 \text{CO}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{energy} \]

Inhaled oxygen is used by the body to oxidize glucose, resulting in the production of carbon dioxide, water, and energy; thus, while the lungs take in oxygen for metabolism, they exhale a greater amount of carbon dioxide as a waste product of this energy-generating process, reflecting the conversion of oxygen into carbon dioxide during cellular respiration.