CE: Cell Energy Overview
Energize the Cells
In this module, you will learn about the cell’s energy source, as well as how different organisms obtain the energy they need to survive
Module Lessons Preview
In this module, we will study the following topics:
- ADP
- Photosynthesis
- Cell Respiration
Module Key Terms
- Energy: the ability to do work
- Work: the ability to change or move matter against other forces
- ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate: the cell’s energy source
- Heterotrophs (or Consumers): organisms that cannot make their own food
- Autotrophs (or Producers): organisms that can make their own food
- Metabolism: a sum of all reactions in an organism
- Catabolic: reaction that breaks down large molecules and releases energy (like cell respiration)
- Anabolic: reaction that builds molecules from smaller ones and uses energy (like photosynthesis)
- Photosynthesis: using carbon dioxide, water, and light to produce glucose and oxygen; takes place in the chloroplast
- Cellular Respiration: takes place in the mitochondria; uses oxygen to break down molecules to release energy
- Aerobic Respiration: cellular respiration in the presence of oxygen
- Fermentation: when cellular respiration occurs without enough oxygen; results in either lactic acid fermentation or alcoholic fermentation
- Anaerobic Respiration: cellular respiration without the presence of oxygen
- Mitochondria: found in eukaryotic cells; organelle where cellular respiration takes place
- Glycolysis: when glucose is broken in half and releases 2 molecules of pyruvic acid and 2 molecules of ATP; the first phase of cellular respiration
- Krebs Cycle (aka Citric Acid cycle): 2nd phase of cellular respiration; produces two ATP and carbon dioxide
- Electron Transport Chain (ETC)- generates 34 ATP molecules and water: 3rd phase of cellular respiration
- Lactic Acid Fermentation: when there is not enough oxygen, lactic acid (a waste product) is produced from pyruvic acid
- Alcoholic Fermentation: occurs in some plants and unicellular organisms, like yeast and bacteria, converts pyruvic acid into ethyl alcohol and releases carbon dioxide