Question

During the aerobic cellular respiration, the bonds of glucose molecules and ____ molecules are broken and new compounds are formed that store energy in a useful form for living cells.

Answer 1

During cellular respiration, sugars such as glucose are metabolized inside the cells. During this metabolization process, glucose bonds are broken releasing energy that is stored in ATP molecules that the cell can use.

In addition to the breaking of bonds, electrons are released which are then sent to the electron transport chain where they help to generate energy. This is important because these electrons are ultimately used to reduce the oxygen that we breathe, this oxygen is in the form of O2, so that when reduced it becomes H2O. Properly, this is a reduction of molecular oxygen but it could also be considered a bond-breaking since we separate the 2 oxygen atoms. Therefore, the answer is "oxygen".