2. ATP

ATP

Specifically, during cellular respiration, glucose is converted into ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is chemical energy the cell can use. It is the molecule that provides energy for your cells to perform work, such as moving your muscles as you walk down the street. But cellular respiration is slightly more complicated than just converting glucose into ATP.

Cellular respiration can be described as the reverse or opposite of photosynthesis.

During cellular respiration, glucose, in the presence of oxygen, is converted into carbon dioxide and water. The process can be summarized as:

glucose + oxygen → ATP + carbon dioxide + water

During this process, the energy stored in glucose is converted into ATP.

Energy is stored in the bonds of the ATP molecule. When ATP is broken down energy is released. When ATP is formed, energy is stored. During cellular respiration, about 36-38 ATP molecules are produced for every glucose molecule.

The structural formula for adenosine triphosphate (ATP). During cellular respiration, energy from the chemical bonds of the food you eat must be converted into ATP.

CK-12 Foundation, Life Science. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/