Cellular Respiration and Energy Production in Cells

Respiration in a living being is one of the fundamental processes that ensure their survival. To survive, we need energy, and breathing makes sure we receive the required energy while performing any work.

For instance, when you are trying to lift a heavy bag or running to catch a bus or even reading a book. All these functions require energy in different amounts, which is provided to our muscles and other body parts through respiration. This helps us in performing the work, and it functions at the cost of energy produced from the food that you intake.

Look at the picture below. It shows two different processes of breathing involved in regular respiration.

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Students often query about what is internal respiration.Notably, it has the same objective as cellular respiration. Both are similar and responsible for providing energy to the body to perform a specific task.

Internal Respiration - A Detailed Overview

Respiration is the primary function that is carried out in a living body. As mentioned already, it provides adequate energy supply to the body while working. In biological terms, a body is composed of cells, and they require energy to work.

Be it the growth of the body or performance of essential functions, cells are active at all times. This is what is the function of cellular respiration, as it helps in the diffusion of oxygen into the blood. 

Students have to understand that there are two basic types of respiration - internal and external. As the names imply, the latter indicates respiration or exchange of gases with lungs and other tissues that are in direct contact with the external environment. 

Distinction Between Types of Respiration

It must be clear by now that there are three kinds of respiration, of which two more or less come under the same category. These are  -

• Internal respiration

• External respiration

• Cellular respiration

Out of these, both internal and cellular respiration occurs at the cellular level. On the other hand, external respiration takes place between the external environment and tissues that are directly involved, such as the lungs.

Thus, it is clear that external respiration is the regular breathing that you do. You inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, which is termed as external respiration. However, to know about cellular respiration class 10, students have to get through the basic distinction among all these types of respiration.

What is Cellular Respiration?

The respiration occurring at the cellular level wherein the cells produce energy by combining oxygen with food molecules is called cellular respiration. Refer to the image below for a quick overview of the process taking place during this respiration.

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The image shows that both glucose and oxygen combine to form carbon dioxide and water. Here, you can understand that the oxygen taking part in cellular respiration is the oxygen that you inhaled through external respiration.

You can also refer to the chemical equation for advanced learning. Equations help in fetching higher grades in the exam. Make sure to include the same while writing your answer in the exam. 

How often Does the Body Perform Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration helps in providing the body with energy to carry out regular tasks. Therefore, it is evident that in order to survive, cellular respiration has to take place at times. 

In simple words, the cells turn the food that you intake into energy. Look at the image below for clarity. It shows how the food is produced by photosynthesis. It is followed by breaking down of this food by the cell (mitochondria) to release energy (ATP).

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To know more about what is internal respiration, you can refer to our online learning programs. You can get access to high quality study materials drafted by subject experts. Also, you can download our Vedantu app for enhanced learning and convenient access to these detailed study materials and online sessions.