Living things ingest carbohydrates to perform cellular respiration. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for cells, and during cellular respiration, they are broken down to release energy that cells can use to carry out their functions.
1. When living things consume carbohydrates through food, these carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars like glucose during digestion.
2. The glucose molecules are then transported to the cells, where they undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of oxygen to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
3. This process, known as cellular respiration, takes place in the mitochondria of the cell and is crucial for the survival and functioning of living organisms.
