Which statement best represents the cellular respiration equation?

Which statement best represents the cellular respiration equation?

• A. Water + Oxygen yields glucose, ATP, and CO2
• B. Glucose plus Oxygen yields CO2, water, and ATP
• C. Glucose reacts with water to form carbon dioxide and ATP
• D. Glucose plus nitrogen yields CO2, water, and ATP

Answer: (B)

Cellular respiration harvests energy from glucose by using oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. The overall description that best fits this process is glucose plus oxygen yielding carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. Oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, allowing a large amount of ATP to be generated, while carbon dioxide and water are released as waste products. The other statements don’t fit because they either reverse the direction of the process, suggest incorrect reactants, or include elements not involved in respiration (for example, making glucose from water and oxygen, treating water as a reactant, or adding nitrogen).

Cellular respiration harvests energy from glucose by using oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. The overall description that best fits this process is glucose plus oxygen yielding carbon dioxide, water, and ATP. Oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, allowing a large amount of ATP to be generated, while carbon dioxide and water are released as waste products.

The other statements don’t fit because they either reverse the direction of the process, suggest incorrect reactants, or include elements not involved in respiration (for example, making glucose from water and oxygen, treating water as a reactant, or adding nitrogen).