Which equation properly represents cellular respiration?

• A. C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
• B. 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + ATP
• C. C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + ATP
• D. 6O2 + C6H12O6 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ADP

Answer: (A)

Cellular respiration converts glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and energy stored as ATP. The correct way to represent it is glucose plus six oxygen molecules yielding six carbon dioxide molecules, six water molecules, and ATP as the energy product. This shows that oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide and water are produced while energy is released in the form of ATP. The other options don’t fit: one shows the reverse process (like photosynthesis), another is not balanced or misstates the energy product (ATP vs ADP), so they don’t accurately portray how cellular respiration operates.