I assume by cell you mean unicellular microorganisms, such as bacteria. (For cell, as in a battery, energy is generated by chemical reactions and depending on the compounds involved, the cell/battery is single-time use only or rechargeable).
In cells, energy is generated by the process of cellular respiration. In this process, glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide, water and energy molecules (ATP) are generated. The chemical equation for this reaction is:
`C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2 -> 6CO_2 + 6 H_2O + ATP`
This is the aerobic decomposition of glucose and creates far more ATP per glucose molecule than anaerobic decomposition. The ATP molecules or adenosine triphosphate molecules are an energy currency for organisms. The conversion of ATP to ADP (Adenosine diphosphate) releases energy and when energy is generated by decomposition of food, it converts back to ATP.
Interestingly, cellular respiration is complementary to photosynthesis, since each process uses the products of the other as its reactants.
Hope this helps.
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