What process converts biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP and releases waste products?

Cellular respiration is the process that converts biochemical energy from nutrients, primarily glucose, into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy currency of the cell. This process occurs in several stages, including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. During cellular respiration, glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen (aerobic respiration) or in the absence of it (anaerobic respiration), releasing carbon dioxide and water as waste products.

The primary goal of cellular respiration is to extract energy from the nutrients consumed by organisms and convert that energy into a usable form. The result is the production of ATP, which is essential for powering various cellular activities.

In contrast, photosynthesis primarily involves converting light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose and does not release ATP directly. Oxidative phosphorylation is part of cellular respiration but is a specific stage focused on the production of ATP through the electron transport chain. Fermentation is an alternative pathway to generate ATP when oxygen is scarce, but it does so less efficiently and produces different waste products, such as lactic acid or ethanol. Thus, cellular respiration encompasses the entire process where biochemical energy is transformed into ATP along with waste product release.