1
Explain A scientist named Antoine Lavoisier demonstrated that cellular
respiration is a combustion process. Recall that car engines use a combustion
reaction to release energy. Construct an explanation for how the breakdown
of fuel in a car engine compares to the breakdown of fuel in your body's cells.
Answer the following questions:
1. Look carefully at the equations for both combustion and cellular respiration,
and compare the inputs and outputs. How can the different inputs result in the
same outputs based on what you know about chemical bonds and atoms?
2. What is missing from the process of combustion that makes it an imperfect
model for cellular respiration? Explain your answer.

Respuesta :

1). The inputs in both the reaction is a hydrocarbon which on reacting with oxygen releases carbon dioxide, water and heat or ATP. This happens due to the breaking of bonds of hydrocarbon and energy is released in the process.

2) The presence of enzymes in which respiration occurs is missing from the combustion process and the end product is ATP in respiration which is missing from combustion process.

Explanation:

In the car engines and cells of the human body combustion of hydrocarbons takes place. Car gets driven by energy produced from the engine using fuel while human cell uses hydrocarbon in the process of respiration.

1) The equation of combustion of gasolene as carbon dioxide and water is given as:

[tex]C_{8}[/tex][tex]H_{18}[/tex] + 12.5 [tex]O_{2}[/tex] ⇒ 8 C[tex]0_{2}[/tex] + 9 [tex]H_{2}[/tex]O + heat

gasolene is a hydrocarbon acting as a fuel.

The equation of respiration:

[tex]C_{6}[/tex][tex]H_{12}[/tex][tex]O_{6}[/tex] + 6[tex]O_{2}[/tex]  ⇒ 6C[tex]0_{2}[/tex] + 6 [tex]H_{2}[/tex]0 + 38 ATP

The hydrocarbons are made up of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. The rearrangement and breaking of bonds occur in them in the presence of oxygen which causes to produce carbon dioxide and oxygen as the product. The energy is released due to the breaking of bonds in the hydrocarbons.

2) The presence of enzymes in the living cell which aids the respiration process is missing from the process of combustion. The energy released in combustion is not as ATP. Combustion usually requires high temperature while respiration occurs at normal body temperature.