how cellular respiration is involved in the carbon cycle. How do you think most animals obtain carbon? How do you think carbon is released back into the atmosphere? Support your ideas by explaining the process of cellular respiration.

Answer 1

Cellular respiration plays a vital role in the carbon cycle as it is the process by which organisms release energy from organic molecules and generate carbon dioxide (CO2) as a byproduct. In this way, cellular respiration acts as a bridge between the carbon stored in organic compounds and its return to the atmosphere as CO2.

Most animals obtain carbon through the process of consuming organic matter. Whether they are herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores, animals ingest plants or other animals containing carbon-based compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Upon digestion, these organic molecules are broken down into simpler units, such as glucose, which serve as the primary fuel for cellular respiration.

During cellular respiration, glucose and other organic molecules are oxidized, producing energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The process occurs in the mitochondria of cells and typically involves three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

In glycolysis, glucose is converted into pyruvate, generating a small amount of ATP and reducing coenzymes such as NADH. The pyruvate then enters the mitochondria and undergoes the Krebs cycle, releasing CO2 and producing more reduced coenzymes and a small amount of ATP.

The reduced coenzymes, NADH and FADH2, are then utilized in oxidative phosphorylation, the final stage of cellular respiration. Here, they transfer their electrons to an electron transport chain embedded in the mitochondrial inner membrane. As electrons move along the chain, energy is released and used to pump protons from the mitochondrial matrix into the intermembrane space. This creates an electrochemical gradient, which drives the production of ATP through ATP synthase. Ultimately, oxygen accepts the electrons, combining with protons to form water.

Therefore, during cellular respiration, the carbon present in glucose is gradually oxidized, resulting in the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. This CO2 can be subsequently taken up by plants through photosynthesis, where it is converted back into organic molecules, closing the carbon cycle.

In summary, cellular respiration enables the release of carbon in the form of CO2 from organic compounds obtained by animals. This carbon is ultimately returned to the atmosphere and then reutilized in the process of photosynthesis by plants, ensuring the continuous cycling of carbon in the Earth's ecosystem.