Respiration is the release of energy from food, by cells.
The most common substrate for respiration is glucose, and it may be either an aerobic, or an anaerobic process, depending on the type of organism and / or the circumstances under which the energy is required.
In either instance, the process involves a complex series of chemical reactions, and the energy released is stored until needed as chemical energy in the bonds of a molecule called Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP).
In terms of energy released per mole, aerobic respiration is 19 times as efficient as anaerobic respiration.
Anne Evans
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