Question

Give the significance of respiration.

Answer 1

All living cells require a continuous supply of energy to carry out all their vital activities and this energy is obtained by oxidizing the organic compounds i.e. carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in the cells. This process of harvesting chemical energy for metabolic activities in the form of ATP, by oxidizing the food molecules is called respiration. Respiration is a cellular catabolic process. The chemical bond energy stored in various molecules is oxidized or decomposed in this process. The most common substrate used in this pathway is Glucose which is oxidized to yield energy.