In Class 10 Chemistry and Biology, respiration is cited as the best example of an exothermic reaction in a living body — a reaction that releases energy.
Reaction Type: Exothermic (releases energy).
Products: CO₂ + H₂O + ATP + Heat.
Energy Released: ~2870 kJ per mole of glucose.
Body Heat: The heat released maintains body temperature.
During aerobic respiration, glucose is oxidized completely:
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + Energy (ATP + Heat)
The bonds in glucose contain stored chemical energy. When oxygen breaks these bonds during oxidation, energy is released to the surroundings — not absorbed.
An exothermic reaction releases more energy than it absorbs. In respiration:
This released energy is captured in ATP molecules (the body's energy currency) and also released as body heat (which maintains our body temperature at 37°C).
Burning glucose in air (combustion) also produces CO₂, water and energy — but all energy is released as heat at once. Respiration is a controlled, slow version of the same exothermic process.
Respiration is exothermic because it involves the oxidation of glucose, which releases a large amount of energy in the form of ATP and heat — more energy is released than absorbed.
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + Energy.
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