Which of the following is a reactant of cellular respiration?
water
carbon dioxide
energy
oxygen
oxygen
The reactant of cellular respiration is oxygen.
To determine which of the given options is a reactant of cellular respiration, we need to understand the process of cellular respiration itself.
Cellular respiration is the process by which cells break down organic molecules to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It occurs in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and involves a series of biochemical reactions.
During cellular respiration, glucose (a sugar molecule) is broken down in the presence of oxygen, and the carbon atoms from glucose react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2). At the same time, electrons are transferred from glucose to generate ATP. This process is summarized by the following equation:
Glucose + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide + Water + ATP
Based on this equation, we can determine that oxygen (O2) is a reactant of cellular respiration. It plays a crucial role in the process by accepting the electrons from glucose as part of an electron transport chain.
Therefore, among the given options, oxygen is the correct answer.