How do cellular respiration and the respiratory system work together?
In cellular respiration, oxygen and glucose react to produce water and carbon dioxide. Oxygen is essential for aerobic respiration (the main type of respiration in humans). The respiratory system supplies the cells with oxygen for respiration.
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Cellular respiration and the respiratory system work together to provide oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide, a waste product of cellular respiration. Here's how they work in tandem:
1. Breathing: The process starts with breathing, where air is inhaled through the nasal passages or mouth, passes through the trachea, and reaches the lungs. The lungs contain millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli.
2. Gas Exchange: In the alveoli, oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses into the bloodstream through the capillaries surrounding the alveoli. At the same time, carbon dioxide from the bloodstream passes into the alveoli to be exhaled.
3. Transportation: The oxygen-rich blood is carried by the circulatory system to the body's cells. It travels through the arteries, arterioles, and eventually reaches the capillaries.
4. Cellular Respiration: Inside the cells, cellular respiration takes place. This is the process where glucose, a sugar molecule, is broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce energy, carbon dioxide, and water. Oxygen from the bloodstream enters the cells and is used for this process.
5. Waste Product Removal: Carbon dioxide, produced as a waste product of cellular respiration, diffuses out of the cells into the surrounding capillaries. It then binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells or dissolves in the plasma to be carried back to the lungs.
6. Exhalation: The carbon dioxide-rich blood returns to the lungs through the veins and releases carbon dioxide into the alveoli. During exhalation, the carbon dioxide is expelled from the body when we breathe out.
In summary, the respiratory system supplies oxygen to the cells, while cellular respiration uses oxygen to produce energy and release carbon dioxide. The respiratory system then eliminates the carbon dioxide from the body during exhalation.