Final answer:
Monarch caterpillars obtain glucose from eating a milkweed plant, which is a reactant of cellular respiration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Monarch caterpillars obtain glucose from eating a milkweed plant. Glucose is a reactant of cellular respiration, which is the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into ATP (the energy currency of cells) and carbon dioxide. So, when monarch caterpillars eat milkweed, they are obtaining the glucose they need to fuel their cellular respiration and produce ATP.
Here's a step-by-step explanation:
1. Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed plants as their primary food source.
2. Milkweed plants contain a substance called latex, which contains toxins that make the monarch caterpillars unpalatable to predators.
3. However, monarch caterpillars have evolved to tolerate and even utilize these toxins for their own defense.
4. Within the milkweed plant, there is also a high concentration of carbohydrates, including glucose.
5. When the caterpillar consumes the milkweed plant, it breaks down the glucose through a process called cellular respiration.
6. Cellular respiration involves a series of chemical reactions that convert glucose into ATP, the energy currency of cells.
7. This ATP is then used by the caterpillar for various activities such as growth, movement, and development.
8. As the caterpillar continues to feed on milkweed plants and undergo cellular respiration, it obtains the energy necessary to sustain its growth and prepare for metamorphosis into a butterfly.