What is cellular respiration?

Cellular respiration is the process by which cells convert sugars, primarily glucose, into usable energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This biochemical process occurs in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and involves several stages, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Specifically, during cellular respiration, glucose is broken down through enzymatic reactions, and the stored energy in its chemical bonds is released and transformed into ATP, which powers various cellular activities.

Understanding cellular respiration is fundamental to grasping how organisms, including both plants and animals, produce energy to sustain life functions. This process is crucial for growth, repair, and maintenance within the cell, highlighting its importance in biological systems. While plants do utilize sunlight for photosynthesis, which is a different process, they also perform cellular respiration to effectively use the energy stored in glucose. This explains why the other options do not accurately describe the function of cellular respiration.