A colorful diagram illustrating cellular respiration, showing glucose and oxygen as inputs entering a mitochondrion, and carbon dioxide, water droplets, and energy as outputs.

Create a color-rich, simple, conceptual diagram showing the inputs and outputs of cellular respiration for a grade 9 level biology class. Just to the right of center, draw a large oval purple mitochondrion inside of a light yellow gel-like background that represents the cytoplasm. Show two inputs in the cell: one molecule of glucose (drawn as a hexagon with energy sparks or glowing lines to represent it contains lots of stored energy) and six oxygen molecules (oxygen is diatomic, so each molecule should be a pair of blue spheres). These inputs enter the mitochondrion. From the mitochondrion, show three outputs leaving: 6 carbon dioxide molecules (CO2) contained inside a bubble, 6 water molecules (H2O) contained inside a water droplet, and a glowing burst or lightning bolt labeled “ENERGY” to represent energy released from the glucose molecule. Clearly label “Inputs” on the left side and “Outputs” on the right side. Use arrows to indicate the flow from inputs to outputs and emphasize that energy is being harvested from glucose. Avoid showing the steps of glycolysis, Krebs cycle, or electron transport chain – keep it conceptual and student-friendly. See more