Question

How do cellular respiration and breathing differ?

Answer 1

Both breathing and cellular respiration involves gaseous exchange but the mechanism of this gaseous exchange is different for both processes.

Complete answer:
1)Cellular respiration is classified as a chemical process of gaseous exchange of the cell as these cells utilize oxygen for a breakdown of glucose to produce energy from the glucose which is used for performing different functions of the body.
2)Whereas breathing is classified as a biological process where the gaseous exchange is simply between the body and the environment.
3)Cellular respiration involves the production of energy by breakdown of glucose whereas breathing involves taking in oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the body and there is no production of energy in breathing like that of cellular respiration.
4)Cellular respiration does not require any separate organ or organ system as it takes place within a cell and cell organelles whereas for breathing the entire respiratory system that includes lungs, nose, pharynx, bronchioles, etc are involved.
5)Breathing does not involve any enzyme whereas cellular respiration involves different enzymes.

Note: We cannot directly control the process of breathing and cellular respiration as both are involuntary processes and are directly controlled by the nervous system of the organism but we can voluntarily control the breathing rate in some cases for example while singing, breathing exercises, etc but we cannot control the rate of cellular respiration because the rate by which cellular respiration occurs is also an involuntary process.