During cellular respiration, which is a part of metabolism, one molecule of glucose produces a maximum yield of 38 molecules of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the energy form that cells use to function and has also been often called the "currency" of the cells.
The whole process begins with breakdown of food by the digestive system right down to their monomer units. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is carried by blood to all cells of the body.
Each cell takes in glucose and breaks it down through the respiration process that begins with glycolysis in the cytoplasm which yields 2 ATP molecules, then onward into the mitochondria of the cell where Krebs cycle and electron transport chain processes generate 34 to 36 more molecules of ATP.
Enzymes are involved in most of the chemical reactions that take place in organisms. About 4,000 such reactions are known to be catalyzed by enzymes, but the number may be even higher.
Xerophytes are plants that have adapted to arid climates. They have evolutionary developed adaptations to reduce the rate of transpiration so as to conserve water.
Among the adaptations include; thick cuticle, small, thick leaves, reducing the surface area relative to the volume of the leaf, etc.
Additionally, they use CAM pathway as an alternative photosynthetic pathway to minimize water loss.
Chemiosmosis is the diffusion of ions through a selective permeable membrane. It specifically refers to the production of ATP through the movement of hydrogen ions through an inner membrane during cellular respiration. Hydrogen ions diffuse from an area of high proton concentration to one of lower concentration.
