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.(2 points)

Answer 1

The chemical equation for cellular respiration is:

\[ \text{C}{6}\text{H}{12}\text{O}{6} + 6\text{O}{2} \rightarrow 6\text{CO}{2} + 6\text{H}{2}\text{O} + \text{energy} \]

In this process, glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂) are consumed to produce carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O), along with energy. Therefore, while inhaled oxygen is used to generate energy, exhaled air has a higher concentration of carbon dioxide due to its production as a waste product of cellular respiration, leading to a difference in the amounts of these gases.