Final answer:
The formula for cellular respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP, where glucose and oxygen are the reactants and carbon dioxide, water, and ATP are the products. Cellular respiration occurs in three stages and produces a net total of 36 or 38 ATP molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula for cellular respiration is as follows:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Chemical Energy (in ATP)
This equation highlights the reactants of cellular respiration, which are one molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and six molecules of oxygen (O2). The products are six molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2), six molecules of water (H2O), and chemical energy stored in ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate). When one molecule of glucose is broken down, it can be converted to a net total of 36 or 38 molecules of ATP, which is the energy currency of the cell. This process occurs in the presence of oxygen and involves three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle (or citric acid cycle), and the electron transport chain.