Which gas is taken in by cells during cellular respiration?

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Multiple Choice

Which gas is taken in by cells during cellular respiration?

Explanation:
Oxygen is the gas taken in because cellular respiration uses it to harvest energy from glucose. In the mitochondria, oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, combining with electrons and hydrogen ions to form water. This step is what drives the production of ATP, the cell’s energy molecule, through chemiosmosis. Since oxygen is consumed in this process, it is the gas the cell takes in. By contrast, carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product, nitrogen isn’t a direct player in aerobic respiration, and hydrogen isn’t taken in as a gas for this purpose.

Oxygen is the gas taken in because cellular respiration uses it to harvest energy from glucose. In the mitochondria, oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, combining with electrons and hydrogen ions to form water. This step is what drives the production of ATP, the cell’s energy molecule, through chemiosmosis. Since oxygen is consumed in this process, it is the gas the cell takes in. By contrast, carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product, nitrogen isn’t a direct player in aerobic respiration, and hydrogen isn’t taken in as a gas for this purpose.

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