Carbohydrates, in particular, glucose, are broken down during cellular respiration to produce ATP, carbon dioxide, and water. This process consists of three stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and electron transport phosphorylation.
During the process of cellular respiration, carbohydrates—specifically glucose, which is a simple sugar—are broken down to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is a vital process carried out by all living organisms.
This complex process happens in three distinct stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle also referred to as the Krebs cycle, and electron transport phosphorylation also known as oxidative phosphorylation.
First, during glycolysis, one molecule of glucose gets broken down into two molecules of pyruvic acid and there is a net output of two ATP molecules. Next, the two molecules of pyruvic acid go through the citric acid cycle where they are oxidized to form carbon dioxide. Finally, during the electron transport chain, electrons are transferred through a series of proteins leading to the creation of water and producing a large amount of ATP.
Overall, the byproducts of this process are carbon dioxide and water, which are released as waste products.
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