Many organisms perform cellular respiration, including animals, bacteria, fungi and protozoa, according to CliffsNotes. These organisms use carbohydrates derived from plants to acquire the energy they need to carry out metabolic processes.
In organisms that perform cellular respiration, the cells store carbohydrates in their cytoplasm and disintegrate the carbohydrates to obtain energy, explains CliffsNotes. This energy is essential in combining adenosine diphosphate and phosphate ions to create adenosine triphosphate molecules, which serve as a power source for cellular processes that require energy.
Cellular respiration involves glycolysis, which is the process that breaks down glucose molecules to produce pyruvic acid molecules, states CliffsNotes. Another part of cellular respiration is the Krebs cycle, wherein the energy derived from the molecule of pyruvic acid is used to create high-energy compounds. The electron transport system delivers electrons through coenzymes and cytochromes, leading to the release of the energy in electrons. Cellular respiration also involves chemiosmosis, wherein electrons provide energy for ATP synthesis.
Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are interrelated, because cellular respiration requires oxygen to receive electrons, and photosynthesis produces oxygen, notes CliffsNotes. Plants acquire energy from sunlight and provide energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate for cellular processes. Cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide, which is a metabolic waste product that plants need for photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, plants create carbohydrates, thus repeating the cycle.