By your question I have to assume you are referring to cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the process by which a cell converts energy from glucose to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is then used by cells for all sorts of biochemical reactions involved in life processes.
The overall chemical equation for cellular respiration is:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ---> 6H2O + 6CO2 + Energy
Throughout this process, energy is converted to electron carriers that work to create an electrochemical gradient which powers the production of ATP. This is all in the process of oxidative chemiosmosis.
The products of cellular respiration are water and carbon dioxide, as can be seen in the equation. Although water is a product, it is not necessarily a waste product, because the cell can reuse that water as needed. However, this is a pretty insignificant amount of water in the grand scheme of things. The main waste product, then, is carbon dioxide. In mammals, the carbon dioxide leaves the cell through diffusion, enters the blood stream, and then leaves our body through our lungs when we exhale.
No comments:
Post a Comment