Respiration Overview (College Board AP® Biology): Study Guide

Respiration & fermentation

• Fermentation and cellular respiration release energy from biological macromolecules to produce ATP

• Respiration and/or fermentation processes occur in all living organisms

Cellular respiration

• Cellular respiration is a chemical process that involves the breakdown of biological macromolecules, specifically glucose

• Respiration in eukaryotes involves a series of enzyme-controlled reactions that capture energy from biological macromolecules in order to produce ATP

  • Cellular respiration take place in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells

• Respiration can be summarized in the word equation:

Fermentation

• Fermentation, also known as anaerobic respiration, is a chemical reaction that releases energy from macromolecules in the absence of oxygen

  • Fermentation releases less energy than cellular respiration

• Fermentation pathways are different in different types of organisms, meaning that the products can vary

ATP

• ATP (adenosine triphosphate) from respiration powers many metabolic processes in cells

  • Organisms require a constant supply of ATP

• Energy is released from ATP when it is hydrolyzed to produce:

  • ADP

  • phosphate (P_i)

• ADP and phosphate can then be converted back to ATP during respiration