noun
respiration
The process by which cells release energy from nutrients.
Cells use respiration to release energy stored in food molecules.
Etymology
The Latin ancestor means breathing. Biology extended respiration from whole-organism breathing to the cellular processes associated with releasing usable energy from nutrients.
More examples
- Aerobic respiration requires oxygen.
- Plant cells carry out respiration both day and night.
- During respiration, cells capture some of the released energy in ATP.
Forms
respiratory adjective — Relating to respiration or its processes.
Similar words
- catabolism
- Broader term for breaking down complex molecules into simpler ones.
- fermentation
- Releases energy without using an electron transport chain.