Q: As the cheetah runs, some of the chemical energy from ATP is lost as heat. Which equation best represents the overall process of cellular respiration that provides this energy?

$$C_6H_{12}O_6$ + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{energy}$$

Question 1

The images above show a cheetah at rest and a cheetah in motion. Which of the following best describes the transformation of energy occurring as the cheetah begins to run?

Accepted Answer

Potential energy stored in the cheetah's muscles is converted into kinetic energy as it runs.

Question 2

Which law of thermodynamics is most directly illustrated by the cheetah's conversion of stored energy into movement?

Accepted Answer

The first law of thermodynamics, which states that energy can be transformed but not created or destroyed.

Question 3

As the cheetah runs, some of the chemical energy from ATP is lost as heat. Which equation best represents the overall process of cellular respiration that provides this energy?

Accepted Answer

$$C_6H_{12}O_6$ + 6O_2 ightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + 	ext{energy}$$

Question 4

If the cheetah continues to run at maximum speed and oxygen becomes limited, which metabolic pathway will its muscle cells increasingly rely on?

Accepted Answer

Lactic acid fermentation

Question 5

During the cheetah's sprint, ATP is rapidly consumed and must be regenerated. Which process directly regenerates ATP from ADP in the mitochondria during aerobic respiration?

Accepted Answer

Oxidative phosphorylation

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why the cheetah cannot maintain its top speed for long periods?

Accepted Answer

ATP is rapidly depleted and lactic acid accumulates, leading to muscle fatigue.

Question 7

Which molecule acts as the primary electron carrier during the breakdown of glucose in the cheetah's muscle cells?

Accepted Answer

NAD+

Question 8

If a mutation caused the cheetah's ATP synthase enzyme to malfunction, what would be the most immediate effect on cellular respiration?

Accepted Answer

The production of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation would decrease dramatically.

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the role of oxygen in the cheetah's muscle cells during a sprint?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen acts as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain.

Question 10

Suppose a cheetah's muscle cell is deprived of oxygen. Which of the following would you expect to accumulate in the cell?

Accepted Answer

Lactic acid

Question 11

Which of the following statements about energy transformations in the cheetah is correct?

Accepted Answer

Some energy from glucose is lost as heat during cellular respiration, increasing the entropy of the universe.

Question 12

During the cheetah's sprint, which process is responsible for the initial rapid production of ATP before oxygen delivery increases?

Accepted Answer

Substrate-level phosphorylation during glycolysis

Question 13

Which of the following best explains why the cheetah's muscles feel warm after a sprint?

Accepted Answer

Exergonic reactions in cellular respiration release heat as a byproduct.

Question 14

If the cheetah's cells could not regenerate NAD+ during anaerobic conditions, what would be the immediate consequence?

Accepted Answer

Glycolysis would stop, and ATP production would decrease.

Question 15

Which of the following equations represents the net ATP yield from glycolysis per molecule of glucose?

Accepted Answer

$$2 	ext{ATP}$$

Question 16

Which process in the cheetah's muscle cells is responsible for the direct transfer of a phosphate group to ADP to form ATP during glycolysis?

Accepted Answer

Substrate-level phosphorylation

Metabolism, Energy, and Cellular Respiration: Energy Flow in Biological Systems

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