What process do consumers perform to break down food molecules for energy?

• A. Fermentation
• B. Photosynthesis
• C. Glycolysis
• D. Cellular Respiration

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that consumers are organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms or organic matter, unlike producers that can make their own food through photosynthesis.
2. Recognize that the process of breaking down food molecules to release energy is known as cellular respiration. This process occurs in the mitochondria of cells.
3. Cellular respiration involves several stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), and the electron transport chain. Each stage plays a crucial role in breaking down glucose and other molecules to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell.
4. Glycolysis is the first step in cellular respiration, where glucose is broken down into pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP and NADH. This process occurs in the cytoplasm and does not require oxygen.
5. The pyruvate produced in glycolysis enters the mitochondria, where it is further processed in the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain, leading to the production of a larger amount of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.