This key facts covers Uses of Energy from Respiration within Respiration for GCSE Biology. Topic 2: Respiration It is section 8 of 16 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 8 of 16
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
📋 Uses of Energy from Respiration
The energy released by respiration is essential for every living process:
- Muscle contraction — movement and locomotion
- Maintaining body temperature — mammals and birds are endothermic
- Active transport — moving substances against concentration gradients (e.g., mineral ions in root hair cells)
- Building larger molecules — synthesising proteins from amino acids, starch from glucose, lipids from fatty acids and glycerol
- Cell division — growth and repair require energy for DNA replication and organelle production
- Nerve impulse transmission — maintaining electrical signals in neurones
All living organisms respire continuously — plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. Plants need energy from respiration just as much as animals do, even though they also photosynthesise.