Which gas is essential for cellular respiration?

Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration as it serves as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, a critical part of the aerobic respiration process that occurs in cells. During cellular respiration, glucose is broken down in a series of metabolic pathways, releasing energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

In aerobic organisms, oxygen is necessary to complete the oxidation of glucose into carbon dioxide and water, allowing for the efficient extraction of energy from nutrients. The presence of oxygen allows cells to produce a higher yield of ATP compared to anaerobic processes, where energy is generated without the use of oxygen.

While other gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen play roles in various biochemical processes, they are not required in the same fundamental way as oxygen for the process of cellular respiration to take place. Nitrogen, while abundant in the atmosphere, does not directly participate in cellular respiration and thus is not essential for this process.