Question

a bowl of sugar water is very stable. but if you feed sugar to cells, it is rapidly broken down into carbon dioxide and water, as it is used to produce atp. what is the best explanation for this observation? enzymes in the cell catalyze the breakdown of the glucose. cells use energy to break down the glucose. glucose becomes more chemically reactive inside of a cell. glucose cannot be broken down outside of a cell. glucose is removed from the cell by active transport.

Explanation:

• Option 1: Enzymes in cells act as biological catalysts, speeding up chemical reactions like glucose breakdown (respiration) to produce ATP. In sugar water, no such enzymes are present to catalyze the reaction rapidly, so this explains the difference.
• Option 2: Glucose breakdown (like in cellular respiration) releases energy, it doesn't use energy to break down. So this is incorrect.
• Option 3: Glucose's chemical reactivity doesn't inherently change inside the cell; it's the enzymes that facilitate the reaction. So this is not the best explanation.
• Option 4: Glucose can be broken down outside cells (e.g., combustion), so this is false.
• Option 5: The question is about glucose breakdown, not its transport out of the cell. So this is irrelevant.

Answer:

1. Enzymes in the cell catalyze the breakdown of the glucose.