Video Transcript
What subcellular organelle is the main site of aerobic respiration?
Cellular respiration is the process of converting energy in glucose to ATP to provide
energy for our cells. There are two types of cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic respiration requires the use of oxygen, while anaerobic does not. In aerobic respiration, glucose is combined with oxygen to make carbon dioxide,
water, and energy in the form of ATP.
Here’s a typical animal cell with some of its components indicated that we’ll
label. Here is the nucleus. This is where our genetic material, in the form of DNA, is stored. This is the cytoplasm, which contains all the cell’s contents. This is actually the site of anaerobic respiration. This is a ribosome, the organelle which synthesizes proteins. Here is the cell membrane that separates the inside of the cell from the outside
environment. And finally, this is the mitochondrion, or mitochondria as plural. This organelle produces the majority of the energy for the cell. It can do this by converting the energy in glucose to ATP using aerobic
respiration.
Therefore, the organelle that is the main site of aerobic respiration is the
mitochondrion.