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Aerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms, including ATP

I can describe the reactants and products of aerobic cellular respiration, and explain where, why and when it takes place.

New
New
  • OCR

Aerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms, including ATP

I can describe the reactants and products of aerobic cellular respiration, and explain where, why and when it takes place.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Cellular respiration happens continuously in all living organisms to transfer the energy needed for life processes.
  2. Cellular respiration is an exothermic chemical process that uses glucose as a fuel, and makes ATP.
  3. Word equation and balanced symbol equation summarises the reactants and products of aerobic cellular respiration.
  4. Aerobic cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells.
  5. Aerobic cellular respiration takes place in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells, which do not have mitochondria.

Keywords

  • Cellular respiration - an exothermic chemical process that transfers energy for life processes, using glucose as a fuel

  • Exothermic - a chemical process that transfers energy to its surroundings

  • Aerobic - a process that requires oxygen

  • ATP - a substance used as a chemical store of energy in cells

  • Mitochondria - sub-cellular structures involved in aerobic cellular respiration

Common misconception

Students frequently write in exams that respiration "creates" energy.

This lesson contains checks and practice tasks that address this misconception.

Script explanations carefully for this lesson as their are many misconceptions about respiration. Avoid using phrases such as "creates energy" (which is scientifically incorrect) and describing mitochondria as "the powerhouse of the cell" (a phrase that can be rote learned without understanding).
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? All living organisms carry out respiration.

Correct answer: true
false

Q2.
In which sub-cellular structure of an animal or plant cell does cellular respiration take place?

Correct Answer: mitochondria, mitochondrion

Q3.
What is the chemical formula for glucose?

An image in a quiz
C$$_6$$H$$_6$$O$$_6$$
C$$_6$$HO$$_6$$
C$$_6$$HO$$_1$$$$_2$$
Correct answer: C$$_6$$H$$_1$$$$_2$$O$$_6$$

Q4.
What does aerobic mean?

occurring in the presence of carbon dioxide
Correct answer: occurring in the presence of oxygen
occurring in the absence of oxygen
occurring in the absence of carbon dioxide

Q5.
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells have a nucleus and eukaryotic cells don't.
Correct answer: Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles and prokaryotic cells don't.
Prokaryotic cells don't have a cell membrane and eukaryotic cells do.
Prokaryotic cells have a cell wall and eukaryotic cells don't.
Eukaryotic cells have a cell wall and cell membrane and prokaryotic cells don't.

Q6.
Which type of reaction transfers energy to the surroundings?

endothermic
Correct answer: exothermic

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following statements are correct about cellular respiration?

It takes in light energy from the sun.
It is a process that creates energy for cells.
Correct answer: Cells use glucose as a fuel in cellular respiration.
Correct answer: It provides energy to cells.
Cells use carbon dioxide as a fuel in cellular respiration.

Q2.
Which is the balanced symbol equation for respiration?

$$6$$O $$_2$$ + C$$_6$$H$$_6$$O$$_6$$ --> $$3$$H$$_2$$O + $$6$$CO$$_2$$
$$6$$O$$_2$$ + C$$_6$$H$$_6$$O$$_6$$ --> $$1$$$$2$$H$$_2$$O + $$6$$CO$$_2$$
Correct answer: $$6$$O$$_2$$ + C$$_6$$H$$_1$$$$_2$$O$$_6$$ --> $$6$$H$$_2$$O + $$6$$CO$$_2$$

Q3.
Cellular respiration is an __________ reaction.

Correct answer: exothermic
endothermic

Q4.
Where does cellular respiration take place in eukaryotic cells?

nucleus
ribosomes
Correct answer: mitochondria
chloroplasts
cell membrane

Q5.
What does ATP stand for?

Correct Answer: adenosine triphosphate

Q6.
What type of energy store is ATP?

nuclear
electrical
gravitational
Correct answer: chemical
kinetic

Lesson appears in

UnitBiology / Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration

OCRBiology

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UnitCombined science / Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration

OCRCombined science

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