Which of the following statements is true about what happens to glucose during cellular respiration inside a cell?

• A. Glucose is directly converted into ATP without any intermediate steps.
• B. Glucose is used to produce oxygen in the mitochondria.
• C. Glucose is stored in the cell as glycogen during cellular respiration.
• D. Glucose is broken down into pyruvate during glycolysis.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that cellular respiration is a multi-step process that converts glucose into energy in the form of ATP.
2. Recognize that the first step of cellular respiration is glycolysis, which occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell.
3. During glycolysis, one molecule of glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate (C₃H₄O₃).
4. This process of glycolysis does not directly produce ATP from glucose; instead, it generates a small amount of ATP and NADH, which are used in later stages of cellular respiration.
5. Conclude that the statement 'Glucose is broken down into pyruvate during glycolysis' is true, as it accurately describes the initial step of cellular respiration.