Which of these processes is carried out in the same way in both plants and animals?

Cellular respiration is a fundamental metabolic process shared by both plants and animals, allowing them to convert organic molecules into usable energy, specifically in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

In both groups, the process occurs in three main stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (or Krebs cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (including the electron transport chain). During glycolysis, glucose is broken down into pyruvate, which then enters the mitochondria to be fully oxidized during the citric acid cycle. The resulting high-energy electrons are transferred through the electron transport chain to generate ATP.

While plants are known for photosynthesis, which is not a process present in animals, cellular respiration serves as a common pathway where both organisms utilize oxygen and glucose to generate energy while producing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. This similarity indicates that despite their differences, all eukaryotic organisms rely on cellular respiration to meet their energy needs, highlighting its critical role in the biology of life forms.