Question

In cellular respiration, approximately 38% of the energy contained in glucose is released for an organism to use. What happens to the remaining 62% of the energy contained in glucose?

A) The energy is converted to thermal energy, which provides heat to the organism.
B) The energy is stored by the cells and released later when needed by the organism.
C) The energy is used to convert leftover glucose into protein to be stored by the cells of the organism.
D) The energy is used to start the process of cellular respiration when more glucose is consumed by the organism.

Answer 1

The remaining 62% of energy from glucose not used in ATP production during cellular respiration is released as thermal energy, providing heat to the organism and its surroundings.

Step-by-step explanation:

In cellular respiration, approximately 38% of the energy contained in glucose is released for an organism to use. The remaining 62% of the energy contained in glucose is not stored for later use or used to convert glucose into other compounds. Instead, this energy is released as thermal energy, which provides heat to the organism. This heat is a byproduct of the inefficiency of the energy transfer process and is ultimately lost to the environment. Cellular respiration is an exothermic reaction, meaning it releases heat as it converts glucose into carbon dioxide and water while transferring energy to ATP, which cells utilize for various functions.