In: Biology
you have been shown two cells under a microscope. One is small, contains many mitochondria and numerous glycogen granules. The other is somewhat larger, has only a few mitochondria and no glycogen granules. (1) Explain which cell is more suited for aerobic cellular respiration. (2) Explain which cell is more suited for anaerobic cellular respiration. (3) Which cell do you think is more metabolically active and why?
First cell is having more number of mitochondria and the second cell is having less number of mitochondria.
1. So first cell will be more suited to aerobic respiration. It is because aerobic respiration is the breakdown of glucose into carbon dioxide and water in the presence of oxygen along with the generation of ATP. Mitochondria is the site of aerobic respiration. So more the number of mitochondria in a cell, greater will be the rate of aerobic respiration in that cell. Also there are more number of glycogen granule in this cell. The cell will break down glycogen to glucose monomers which can be utilised easily by mitochondria.
2. The second cell will be more suited to anaerobic respiration because it is having less number of mitochondria. If the site of aerobic respiration is less available in the cell, then it will undertake anaerobic respiration.
3. More metabolically active will be the first cell. It is because it is having more amount of glycogen as compared to the secod cell. If there is more amount of glycogen, it means more number of ATP molecules are synthesized and the energy obtained from ATP is used in the synthesis of more number of glycogen molecules.
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