The equation shows cellular respiration. During cellular respiration, glucose combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, water, and ATP.

[tex]\[ C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP} \][/tex]

What happens to the energy in the bonds in glucose?

A. The energy is transferred to oxygen.
B. The energy is transferred to carbon dioxide.
C. The energy is transferred to water.
D. The energy is transferred to ATP.



Answer :

To determine what happens to the energy in the bonds in glucose during cellular respiration, let's analyze the process step-by-step.

1. Understanding Cellular Respiration:
- Cellular respiration is a biochemical process by which cells extract energy from glucose (C6H12O6).
- In this process, glucose reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

2. Equation of Cellular Respiration:
- The balanced chemical equation for cellular respiration is:
[tex]\[ C _6 H _{12} O _6 + 6 O _2 \rightarrow 6 CO _2 + 6 H _2 O + \text{ATP} \][/tex]

3. Energy in the Bonds:
- Glucose is a high-energy molecule, and the energy is stored in its chemical bonds.
- When glucose is broken down during cellular respiration, these bonds are broken, releasing energy.

4. Fate of the Released Energy:
- The energy released from breaking the bonds of glucose needs to be transferred somewhere in the cell.
- This energy is captured and stored in the form of ATP, the primary energy currency of the cell.
- ATP can then be used by the cell to perform various functions that require energy, such as muscle contraction, molecule synthesis, and active transport.

5. Analyzing the Options:
- Transferred to Oxygen: Oxygen acts as an electron acceptor and combines with hydrogen to form water, but it does not store the energy released from glucose.
- Transferred to Carbon Dioxide: Carbon dioxide is a waste product and does not store the energy released.
- Transferred to Water: Water is also a byproduct and does not store the energy.
- Transferred to ATP: Yes, ATP captures and stores the energy released during cellular respiration.

Based on the analysis above, the answer to what happens to the energy in the bonds in glucose is:

The energy is transferred to ATP.