Which is the correct equation for cellular respiration?

The correct equation for cellular respiration depicts the overall process by which glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy in the form of ATP. The reaction is represented as follows: glucose (C6H12O6) reacts with oxygen (6O2), resulting in the production of carbon dioxide (6CO2), water (6H2O), and the energy stored in ATP.

This reaction captures the essence of how living organisms convert the chemical energy stored in glucose into a usable form of energy, while also highlighting the byproducts of carbon dioxide and water.

While it’s common to refer to the energy released during this process as ATP, ATP itself is the final energy currency used by cells, and thus emphasizing ATP in the equation underlines the importance of the energy produced rather than merely stating that energy is liberated. Therefore, this equation accurately represents cellular respiration by focusing on the conversion of energy forms and the end products involved.

In contrast, other options contain elements related to photosynthesis or present the processes in reverse, not effectively describing cellular respiration, which is distinct in its function and outputs.