• 30 strips
  • Checked October 2026

Cellular Respiration Comic Strip Ideas

Three comic strip premises per press, with a beat for glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain.

Cellular Respiration Comic Strip Ideas

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  1. A castle: the courtyard, the round tower and the wall3 panels. Glycolysis: in the courtyard, outside the keep, glucose is split into two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: in the round tower, the matrix of a mitochondrion, carbon dioxide rises from the chimney. Electron transport chain: along the inner wall, guards pass electrons hand to hand to oxygen. Water forms, and the ATP flags go up.
  2. A mitochondrion tired of being called the powerhouse3 panels. Glycolysis: 'First, the glucose is split outside me. I only get the pyruvates.' Citric acid cycle: 'Inside me they go round the cycle, and the carbon dioxide leaves.' Electron transport chain: 'In my inner membrane electrons go to oxygen, water forms and most of the ATP is made. Fine. I am the powerhouse.'
  3. A school: the hallway, the round lab and the staircase3 panels. Glycolysis: in the hallway, glucose is split into two pyruvates and two ATP are handed out. Citric acid cycle: in the round lab, the matrix of a mitochondrion, carbon dioxide is given off. Electron transport chain: on the staircase, electrons go down step by step to oxygen. Water and most of the ATP wait at the bottom.

Next step Story ideas set inside a cellComic formats for a school project

All 30 strips

Glucose as the hero 8

  • Glucose and Oxygen arrive together and meet only at the end 3 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose is split into two pyruvates for a little ATP, and Oxygen is not needed yet. Citric acid cycle: in a mitochondrion carbon dioxide comes off, while Oxygen waits at the far end of the line. Electron transport chain: the electrons reach Oxygen at last, water forms, and the ATP pours out.
  • Glucose hands its energy along like a hot potato 3 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose splits into two pyruvates and tosses a little energy to ATP. Citric acid cycle: in a mitochondrion the pyruvates break down to carbon dioxide and toss their energy to NADH and FADH2. Electron transport chain: the carriers toss it on, the electrons land on oxygen to make water, and ATP makes the big catch.
  • Glucose keeps a scorecard of every ATP 3 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose is split into two pyruvates, and the scorecard reads 2 ATP. Citric acid cycle: in a mitochondrion carbon dioxide leaves, and the cycle adds 2 more. Electron transport chain: electrons flow to oxygen, water forms, and the card runs out of room. Most of the ATP is made here.
  • Glucose runs an obstacle course with three obstacles 3 panels. Glycolysis: the splitter, where Glucose comes out as two pyruvates holding a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: the spinning wheel inside a mitochondrion, which shakes off carbon dioxide. Electron transport chain: the stairs that electrons take down to oxygen, with water and a heap of ATP at the bottom.
  • Glucose's last day: split, spun and cashed in for ATP 3 panels. Glycolysis: in the cell's fluid, Glucose is split into two pyruvates and a little ATP is made. Citric acid cycle: inside a mitochondrion the pyruvates are taken apart, and carbon dioxide drifts off. Electron transport chain: electrons pass down a line to oxygen, water forms, and most of the ATP is made.
  • How ATP got its powers: an origin story 3 panels. Glycolysis: a glucose is split into two pyruvates, and the first two ATP appear. Citric acid cycle: in a mitochondrion carbon dioxide is released, and NADH and FADH2 are charged. Electron transport chain: their electrons run down to oxygen, water forms, and ATP arrives in a crowd.
  • Six carbon beads on a string, lost one stop at a time 4 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose, a string of six carbon beads, is cut into two strings of three. Pyruvate oxidation: each string drops a bead as carbon dioxide. Citric acid cycle: the last four beads leave as carbon dioxide too. Electron transport chain: the electrons collected on the way go to oxygen, making water and most of the ATP.
  • Three text messages from Glucose 3 panels. Glycolysis: 'Got split into two pyruvates. Made 2 ATP. Still outside the mitochondria.' Citric acid cycle: 'Inside one now. Going round. Losing carbon dioxide, loading NADH and FADH2.' Electron transport chain: 'Electrons went down the chain to oxygen. Water made. ATP everywhere.'

The three stages as rooms 8

  • A castle: the courtyard, the round tower and the wall 3 panels. Glycolysis: in the courtyard, outside the keep, glucose is split into two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: in the round tower, the matrix of a mitochondrion, carbon dioxide rises from the chimney. Electron transport chain: along the inner wall, guards pass electrons hand to hand to oxygen. Water forms, and the ATP flags go up.
  • A cutaway drawing of one mitochondrion, outside to inside 3 panels. Glycolysis: outside the mitochondrion, in the cell's fluid, glucose becomes two pyruvates and a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: deep inside, in the matrix, the cycle gives off carbon dioxide and loads NADH and FADH2. Electron transport chain: in the inner membrane, electrons run to oxygen, water forms, and ATP is made in bulk.
  • A floor plan of a cell with three rooms labeled 3 panels. Glycolysis: the open floor outside the mitochondria, where glucose is split into two pyruvates and a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: the inner room of a mitochondrion, the matrix, where carbon dioxide is released. Electron transport chain: the inner membrane, where electrons pass to oxygen, water forms and most of the ATP is made.
  • A game with three levels and Oxygen waiting at the end 3 panels. Glycolysis: level one. Split the glucose into two pyruvates and collect 2 ATP. Citric acid cycle: level two, inside the mitochondrion. Release the carbon dioxide and collect NADH and FADH2. Electron transport chain: level three. Carry the electrons down the chain to Oxygen, who ends up as water while the ATP counter spins.
  • A school: the hallway, the round lab and the staircase 3 panels. Glycolysis: in the hallway, glucose is split into two pyruvates and two ATP are handed out. Citric acid cycle: in the round lab, the matrix of a mitochondrion, carbon dioxide is given off. Electron transport chain: on the staircase, electrons go down step by step to oxygen. Water and most of the ATP wait at the bottom.
  • A subway line with three stations 3 panels. Glycolysis: at the first station, out in the cell's fluid, a glucose leaves the train as two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: the loop line inside the mitochondrion lets carbon dioxide off. Electron transport chain: at the inner membrane the electrons ride to the end of the line, oxygen, where water and most of the ATP are made.
  • An arcade where tickets are traded for ATP 3 panels. Glycolysis: the coin splitter breaks a glucose into two pyruvates and pays out a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: the ride inside the mitochondrion turns twice, once for each pyruvate, puffing out carbon dioxide and printing NADH and FADH2 tickets. Electron transport chain: at the counter the tickets' electrons go to oxygen, water forms, and the prize is a pile of ATP.
  • An escape room with three rooms and a key in each 3 panels. Glycolysis: in the first room the team splits a glucose into two pyruvates and wins a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: in the round second room, inside a mitochondrion, carbon dioxide escapes and two keys turn up, NADH and FADH2. Electron transport chain: the keys open the last door, electrons reach oxygen, water forms and ATP floods out.

A factory 7

  • A charging plant: flat ADP in, charged ATP out 3 panels. Glycolysis: splitting a glucose into two pyruvates charges the first two batteries, ADP into ATP. Citric acid cycle: in the mitochondrion, breaking the pyruvates down to carbon dioxide charges the carriers NADH and FADH2. Electron transport chain: their electrons flow to oxygen, water forms, and ADP is charged into ATP by the crate.
  • A dam inside a mitochondrion, with a turbine for ATP 5 panels. Glycolysis: glucose is split into two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: they are broken down to carbon dioxide. Electron transport chain: electrons run along the inner membrane to oxygen, making water, and the energy pumps protons across. Gradient: the protons pile up like water behind a dam. ATP synthase: they rush back through it, and it turns out ATP.
  • A mint that stamps out ATP coins 3 panels. Glycolysis: the front office splits a glucose into two pyruvates and stamps the first 2 coins. Citric acid cycle: the round press inside the mitochondrion lets off carbon dioxide and stamps 2 more. Electron transport chain: electrons end on oxygen as water, and the main press stamps ATP by the sackful.
  • A power plant that burns sugar slowly, with no flame 3 panels. Glycolysis: at the gate, glucose is split into two pyruvates for a little ATP. Citric acid cycle: in the mitochondrion's furnace room there is no fire, only small steps, and carbon dioxide goes up the stack. Electron transport chain: the last line hands electrons to oxygen, water drips out, and ATP goes out to the whole cell.
  • A shipping list: what comes in and what goes out 5 panels. In: glucose and oxygen at the loading dock. Glycolysis: the glucose is split into two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: inside the mitochondrion, the pyruvates leave as carbon dioxide. Electron transport chain: electrons join the oxygen and make water. Out: ATP for the cell, and carbon dioxide and water out the back door.
  • A take-apart line: the opposite of an assembly line 3 panels. Glycolysis: the first station cuts each glucose into two pyruvates. Citric acid cycle: the second, inside a mitochondrion, strips them down until only carbon dioxide is left to throw out. Electron transport chain: the third sends the electrons it saved to oxygen to make water, and boxes up the ATP.
  • The factory on a day the oxygen truck is late 4 panels. Glycolysis: the front line still runs, splitting glucose into two pyruvates for 2 ATP. No oxygen: with none at the end of the chain, the pyruvate is sent to fermentation instead. Citric acid cycle: the truck arrives, and carbon dioxide puffs out of the mitochondria again. Electron transport chain: electrons reach oxygen, water forms, and ATP output jumps.

Funny 7

  • A mitochondrion tired of being called the powerhouse 3 panels. Glycolysis: 'First, the glucose is split outside me. I only get the pyruvates.' Citric acid cycle: 'Inside me they go round the cycle, and the carbon dioxide leaves.' Electron transport chain: 'In my inner membrane electrons go to oxygen, water forms and most of the ATP is made. Fine. I am the powerhouse.'
  • Carbon Dioxide keeps getting shown the door 4 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose is split into two pyruvates. Nobody is thrown out yet. Pyruvate oxidation: at the mitochondrion's door, each pyruvate loses a carbon dioxide. Citric acid cycle: the rest is thrown out as carbon dioxide too. Electron transport chain: indoors, electrons reach oxygen, water forms and ATP is made. Carbon Dioxide watches through the window.
  • Glycolysis borrows two ATP and pays back four 3 panels. Glycolysis: it borrows 2 ATP to get a glucose ready, splits it into two pyruvates and pays back 4. 'Profit: 2.' Citric acid cycle: the mitochondrion takes the pyruvates apart and lets the carbon dioxide go. Electron transport chain: electrons reach oxygen, water forms, and the ATP made here makes that profit look small.
  • Oxygen shows up at the very end and takes the credit 3 panels. Glycolysis: Glucose is split into two pyruvates. Oxygen watches from the end of the line. Citric acid cycle: the cycle turns in the mitochondrion and carbon dioxide leaves. Oxygen checks its watch. Electron transport chain: Oxygen takes the last electrons, becomes water, and bows while the ATP pours out.
  • The pyruvate twins, who do everything twice 3 panels. Glycolysis: one glucose is split, and out come the twins, two pyruvates, with 2 ATP between them. Citric acid cycle: each twin takes a turn, so the cycle goes round twice. Carbon dioxide leaves both times. Electron transport chain: both twins' electrons end on oxygen as water, and the ATP comes in a pile big enough to share.
  • Three stages compete for employee of the month 3 panels. Glycolysis: 'I split glucose into two pyruvates, and I can work without oxygen.' Citric acid cycle: 'I release the carbon dioxide and load up NADH and FADH2.' Electron transport chain: 'I pass the electrons to oxygen, make the water and make most of the ATP.' The trophy goes to the chain. The other two want a recount.
  • Two delivery drivers who never keep the package 3 panels. Glycolysis: glucose is split into two pyruvates, and NADH picks up its first load of electrons. Citric acid cycle: in the mitochondrion carbon dioxide leaves, and NADH and FADH2 fill both vans. Electron transport chain: they hand every electron to the chain, which passes them to oxygen to make water. The ATP goes to someone else.

How it works

These cellular respiration comic strip ideas each give a cast and a labeled beat for every stage, with where it happens and what it makes.

Read the full guide

Three stages, in order

Glycolysis happens in the cell's fluid: one glucose is split into two pyruvates, for a small gain of ATP. The citric acid cycle, also called the Krebs cycle, turns in the matrix of a mitochondrion and releases carbon dioxide. The electron transport chain sits in the mitochondrion's inner membrane: electrons pass along it to oxygen, water forms, and most of the ATP is made.

Strips with an extra panel

Pyruvate oxidation is the step between glycolysis and the cycle, where each pyruvate loses one carbon dioxide. In and Out panels show what arrives and what leaves. Use your class's names where they differ.

  • Give glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and ATP a color each, and keep it in every panel.
  • Draw the mitochondrion's outline in the last two panels, so a reader sees that glycolysis happens outside it.

Questions and answers

How do you make a comic strip about cellular respiration?

Pick a cast, such as an arcade where tickets are traded for ATP. Draw one panel for each stage in order, show where it happens, and label what goes in and what comes out.

What goes into cellular respiration and what comes out?

Glucose and oxygen go in. Carbon dioxide, water and ATP come out. ATP is the small molecule that stores the energy a cell uses.

How many ATP does cellular respiration make?

Textbooks often say up to 38 for each glucose: 2 from glycolysis, 2 from the citric acid cycle and the rest from the electron transport chain. Current estimates are nearer 30. Use the figure your class uses.

What is a funny cellular respiration comic idea?

Oxygen shows up at the very end and takes the credit, the pyruvate twins do everything twice, or a mitochondrion gets tired of being called the powerhouse.

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