Which organelle is the site of aerobic respiration and is present in both plant and animal cells?

Which organelle is the site of aerobic respiration and is present in both plant and animal cells?

• A. Chloroplasts
• B. Mitochondria
• C. Vacuole
• D. Ribosome

Answer: (B)

Aerobic respiration happens in the mitochondria, the organelles that act as the cell’s powerhouses by producing ATP using oxygen. Both plant and animal cells contain mitochondria, so they can generate energy for activities like growth, transport, and movement. Chloroplasts, by contrast, are the sites of photosynthesis in plant cells, converting light energy into chemical energy, not primarily for respiration in animal cells. Vacuoles store water and other substances and help maintain cell turgor, not energy production. Ribosomes build proteins, not ATP. So the mitochondrion is the organelle that fits the described role and is present in both plant and animal cells.

Aerobic respiration happens in the mitochondria, the organelles that act as the cell’s powerhouses by producing ATP using oxygen. Both plant and animal cells contain mitochondria, so they can generate energy for activities like growth, transport, and movement.

Chloroplasts, by contrast, are the sites of photosynthesis in plant cells, converting light energy into chemical energy, not primarily for respiration in animal cells. Vacuoles store water and other substances and help maintain cell turgor, not energy production. Ribosomes build proteins, not ATP.

So the mitochondrion is the organelle that fits the described role and is present in both plant and animal cells.