Algonquin College Health Program Assessment (AC-HPAT) Practice Exam

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Which gas is a waste product of cellular respiration?

Oxygen
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen

The correct answer is: Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product during cellular respiration, which is the process that cells use to convert glucose and oxygen into energy. During this metabolic process, glucose is broken down, and energy is harnessed in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). As a byproduct of this transformation, carbon dioxide is generated along with water. In contrast, oxygen is consumed in the process and serves as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. Carbon monoxide, while a toxic substance, is not a standard product of cellular respiration; it can disrupt the process by competing with oxygen for binding sites on hemoglobin. Nitrogen is largely inert in relation to cellular metabolic processes and is not produced through cellular respiration. Therefore, carbon dioxide stands out as the correct answer because it is an inevitable waste product of aerobic respiration in living organisms.