Cellular Respiration Study Worksheet
Every time you consume glucose, you are giving the cells of your body six potentaps. Cells are only able to use energy from taps, so the body needs to break down the potentaps to taps. Use the following analogy to follow the breakdown of sugar during the process of cellular respiration.
The cell must first take the potentaps to its Cytosol shop, where it converts the six-pronged potentaps to two three pronged semitaps. This takes a little effort, so the cell pays the Cytosol shop workers two taps from its storage to get them to do the work. Cytosol shop workers are very skilled, and when they are finished they actually have produced two three pronged semitaps and four taps! Because they are grateful for the work, the Cytosol shop workers give you two coupons to visit the Balcony Entrance to the Energy Slide.
Although the Energy Slide is a really fun place, the cell waits to use the energy coupons because it knows that it will get additional coupons for the Energy slide from the Mighty Mito Ferris Wheel Generator. The Ferris Wheel Generator is also where the cell can generate more taps. The seats on the Ferris wheel only accept two-pronged semitaps, so the cell trades its two three-pronged semitaps for two two-pronged semitaps. For making this sacrifice, the cell receives two coupons for the Balcony entrance to the Energy Slide from the Ferris Wheel Generator operators.
With the trade made, the cell puts one of its two two-pronged semitaps on for one turn of the Ferris Wheel Generator and receives one tap, three coupons for the Balcony entrance to the Energy Slide and one coupon for the Mezzanine Entrance to the Energy Slide. The cell receives the same rewards (taps and coupons) for putting the other two pronged semitaps on the Wheel. The cell has now used up all of its semitaps at this point, and is ready to acquire all the energy in the coupons it has accumulated for the Energy Slide. For each trip from the slide’s Balcony Entrance, the cell earns three taps. Starting at the Mezzanine level, the cell earns only two taps.
The cell is now finished accumulating all the energy in the form of taps that it can, and the body is grateful. The body can now use the taps to do any work that it needs to do.
1. Now that you have read the steps, create a diagram that explains what happens at each of the above in terms of potentaps, semitaps, and taps; include the number of each at each step. Note where each is earned or redeemed along the way.
2. Count the total number of taps that the cell can expect to gain through this process.