What is the process of converting glucose into energy called?

The process of converting glucose into energy is primarily referred to as cellular respiration. This is a complex metabolic pathway that occurs in cells to extract energy from glucose, which is a form of sugar. During cellular respiration, glucose undergoes several biochemical transformations, beginning with glycolysis and followed by the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, ultimately resulting in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell.

In cellular respiration, glucose is oxidized, and that energy is harnessed to produce ATP, carbon dioxide, and water. This process takes place in the mitochondria of the cell and is essential for providing the energy necessary for various cellular functions and activities.

While glycolysis is indeed a part of cellular respiration and refers to the initial breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, it is just one step in the overall cellular respiration process. Photosynthesis, on the other hand, is the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose and is not directly related to how organisms utilize glucose for energy. Fermentation is a different metabolic pathway that occurs in the absence of oxygen and can also result in energy production, but it is less efficient than cellular respiration.