Difference Between Respiration And Combustion:
Following are the points of difference between Respiration and Combustion or Burning.
| Respiration | Combustion |
|---|---|
| It occurs inside cells i.e. intracellular process. | It is a non-cellular process. |
| It is under biological control. | Combustion is an uncontrolled process. |
| Respiration is a biochemical process. | Combustion is a Physico-chemical process. |
| Energy is released in stages as chemical bonds are broken in steps. | Energy is released in a single step as all chemical steps occur simultaneously. |
| Less than 50% of energy is liberated as heat. | Most of the energy is liberated as heat. |
| Temperature does not rise due to liberation of heat in very small packets. | Temperature becomes very high. |
| Light is not an accompaniment of respiration though certain organisms can produce light. | Light is emitted in combustion. |
| About 50% of the energy is stored. | Energy is not stored. |
| Energy is trapped in the form of ATP. | ATP is not formed. |
| Oxygen is involved in terminal oxidation or oxidation of reduced coenzymes. | Oxygen is used in direct oxidation. |
| A number of intermediates are formed. They are used in the synthesis of different organic compounds. | No intermediates are produced in combustion. |
| A number of enzymes are required, one for each step or reaction. | Burning is a non-enzymatic process. |
