Final answer:
As Alma exercises, her body breaks down the glucose from the granola bar in a series of steps: glucose enters the cell, undergoes glycolysis in the cytoplasm, the resulting pyruvate enters the mitochondria, and in the presence of oxygen, it is further broken down in the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, leading to the production of ATP.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Alma's Body Obtains Energy from Food While Exercising
When Alma starts running, her body begins a complex process to convert the food she ate into energy. To understand how the granola bar helps Alma during her exercise, we need to place the biochemical events in the correct order based on cellular respiration:
- A glucose molecule enters the body cell.
- A glucose molecule is broken down in the cytoplasm (a process known as glycolysis).
- Smaller molecules enter the mitochondrion.
- Oxygen is used to break down smaller molecules in a process involving the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
- A large amount of energy is released in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
As Alma runs, her muscles require more oxygen and glucose to produce energy. The glucose from the granola bar is broken down into pyruvate through glycolysis in the cell's cytoplasm. This pyruvate then enters the mitochondrion where, in the presence of oxygen, it goes through the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, leading to the production of a substantial amount of ATP, the energy currency of the cell. This ATP is then used to fuel her muscles during the exercise.