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Cellular Respiration Virtual Lab
Investigate how cells use fuel and oxygen to release usable energy, then use evidence from your trials to explain McKenna's exercise difficulty and weight loss.
Run the Reaction
Change the amount of glucose and oxygen available to a cell. Which reactant becomes the limiting factor?
Represents fuel molecules available to the cell.
Complete respiration requires oxygen.
Cellular Respiration Model
Glucose+O₂
→
CO₂+H₂O+ATP
Ready to run a trial.
Glucose used
0
Oxygen used
0
CO₂ produced
0
ATP energy units
0
Intercellular space
Blood vessel
blood flow →
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane
Nucleus
Mitochondria
WORK
Cell membrane: outer boundary
Cytoplasm: fluid interior
Nucleus: contains DNA
Mitochondria: produces energy
Glucose
Oxygen
ATP / usable energy
Carbon dioxide
Water
red blood cell
plasma
glucose
oxygen
Watch the pathway: blood delivers glucose + oxygen → both enter the cell and move into a mitochondrion → the reaction occurs → ATP stays in the cell and powers WORK → CO₂ + water leave the mitochondrion, exit the cell, and return to the blood.
Fuel Choice Lab
Keep exercise demand constant. Change available glucose and fat stores. What fuel does the body rely on?
Fuel Use
Set your conditions and run a trial.
Glucose contribution
0%
Fat contribution
0%
ATP supply
0
Demand met
—
Student Data Table
| Trial | Glucose | Fat | O₂ | Demand | ATP | Met? |
|---|
Exercise Challenge
Can the muscles produce ATP quickly enough to match exercise demand?
A simplified variable representing how well cells can release usable energy from available fuels.
Exercise Results
Ready.
ATP production
0
Exercise demand
0
Estimated endurance
—
CO₂ output
0
Recorded Trials
| Trial | Intensity | Glucose | Fat | O₂ | Efficiency | ATP | Endurance |
|---|
McKenna Investigation
Case: McKenna is losing weight and has difficulty keeping up during exercise. Her body still contains stored fat. Use the model to determine which explanations are supported by evidence.
A. She simply has no stored chemical energy.
B. Her cells are not receiving enough oxygen.
C. Her body has stored fuel, but her cells cannot access or use it effectively enough.
D. Her cells release less usable energy from the fuel that reaches them.
Set McKenna's Conditions
Case Results
Run the model and look for patterns.
ATP supplied
0
Energy demand
0
Fat used today
0
Body-store trend
—
Evidence Log
| Day | Glucose | Fat stored | Fat access | O₂ | Efficiency | ATP | Trend |
|---|