Final answer:
Cellular respiration occurs in multiple stages rather than a single step, which allows for the efficient production of ATP with minimal energy lost as heat and none as light.
Step-by-step explanation:
If cellular respiration took place in just one step, most of the energy would indeed be lost in the form of light and heat. However, cellular respiration occurs over multiple stages, allowing for the efficient production of ATP, the energy currency of the cell, with minimal loss of energy as heat. None of the energy is released as light. This stepwise breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen happens in three main stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle (also called the citric acid cycle), and electron transport, with an intermediate stage that includes the transformation of pyruvate. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm and doesn't require oxygen, whereas the subsequent stages occur inside the mitochondria and do require oxygen. These stages ensure the controlled release of energy, captured in the form of ATP.