Question

Living things respire to stay alive. In the mitochondria, sugar is combined with oxygen to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide. Write the equation of this chemical reaction

Answer 1

Answer:

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

Explanation:

Cellular respiration occurs in the mitochondria of cells. It is a process in which  sugar is combined with oxygen to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide. This is the major process by which energy is released in living organisms.

Aerobic respiration involves a series of chemical reactions.  These reactions commence with sugar and oxygen then it produces  carbon dioxide and water according to the reaction equation; C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O.

Answer 2

Answer: The equation for this Chemical reaction is:

C6H12O6 (s) + 6 O2 (g) → 6 CO2 (g) + 6 H2O (l) + heat (energy)

Explanation:

Mitochondria is the site of chemical energy conversions for cell activities. In the mitochondria, sugar (chemical energy) is combined with oxygen to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide. The equation for this reaction is already given above.

All living cells need energy for the metabolic processes essential for life. They get this energy from the chemical energy stored in food (sugar).

In this process, oxygen is necessary for the chemical energy in sugar to be converted to carbondioxide, water and release of heat energy. It is therefore an oxidative reaction.

Furthermore, energy is not released in one big step as shown in the above reaction, but in a series of small steps which are catalysed by enzymes. The energy that is released, bit by bit, is stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules. The oxidation of glucose to release energy in this manner is known as CELLULAR RESPIRATION. It occurs also in the mitochondria of all living cells.