Okuzeka
Biology vocabulary · Molecules of Life and Metabolism

Cellular respiration

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˌseljələr ˌrespəˈreɪʃən/nounCore term

In biology, cellular respiration means: The process by which cells break down glucose and other food molecules to release energy and store it as ATP. When oxygen is used, carbon dioxide and water are produced.

In Turkish: hücresel solunum

How it is used

Has three main stages: glycolysis, the Krebs (citric acid) cycle and the electron transport chain. Aerobic respiration needs oxygen; anaerobic respiration and fermentation do not. In eukaryotes, most of it happens in mitochondria.

Example sentences

  1. Cellular respiration releases the energy that was stored in glucose during photosynthesis.

  2. In cellular respiration, oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor.

Common collocations

  • aerobic respiration
  • anaerobic respiration
  • rate of respiration
  • electron transport chain
  • mitochondrionAn organelle that releases energy from food molecules and stores it as ATP through aerobic respiration. It has two membranes and its own small set of DNA.
  • ATPShort for adenosine triphosphate, the molecule that cells use to store and transfer energy. Breaking off one of its phosphate groups releases energy for cell work.
  • photosynthesisThe process in which plants, algae and some bacteria use light energy to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen as a by-product.
  • metabolismAll the chemical reactions that take place in a living thing to keep it alive, including breaking down food for energy and building new molecules.
  • carbohydrateAn organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, such as a sugar, starch or cellulose. Carbohydrates store energy and build structures like plant cell walls.

More terms: Molecules of Life and Metabolism

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: