What is Respiration? (Leaving Cert Biology): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
What is Respiration?
infoNote
Respiration is the enzyme-controlled process of releasing energy from food.
- Respiration can be:
- Aerobic: Requires oxygen to release energy.
- Anaerobic: Does not require oxygen and releases less energy
- The energy comes from the breakdown of glucose (or other molecules).
- This energy is stored temporarily in a molecule called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate).
- Respiration occurs in the mitochondria of cells.
- Respiration is a catabolic reaction.
infoNote
Catabolic reaction: the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules e.g. digestion.
- It provides energy for essential processes like:
- Growth
- Movement
- Repair
- Reproduction