What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration? Write the equations to show both the processes.
Please make it short.
Answers
Aerobic respiration is a set of metabolic reactions that take place in the presence of oxygen, occurring in a cell to convert chemical energy into ATPs.
Aerobic respiration takes place in all plants, animals, birds, and humans, except for some primitive prokaryotes.
In aerobic respiration, oxygen acts as an electron acceptor which helps produce ATPs more effectively and more quickly.
The double bond in the oxygen has higher energy than other bonds which aids to produce more ATPs.
It is the preferred method of degradation of pyruvate after glycolysis where the pyruvate then enters the mitochondria to be fully oxidized during the Kreb’s cycle.
The process of aerobic respiration is utilized for the oxidation of carbohydrates, but products from fats and proteins are also used as
During aerobic respiration, most ATPs are produced during oxidative phosphorylation where the energy of oxygen molecule is used to pump protons out of the membrane.
The passage of protons creates a potential that is then used to initiate ATP synthase and produce ATP from ADP and a phosphate group.
Ideally, a total of 38 ATPs are produced at the end of the aerobic respiration.
Anaerobic Respiration Definition
Anaerobic respiration is a process of cellular respiration where the high energy electron acceptor is neither oxygen nor pyruvate derivatives.
The final electron acceptors involved in anaerobic respiration have a smaller reduction potential than oxygen molecules which results in less energy production.
Anaerobic respiration, however, is essential for biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.
The nitrate that acts as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration produces nitrogen gas as a by-product, and this process is the only route for fixed nitrogen to reach the atmosphere.
Fermentation is another pathway for anaerobic respiration, where the only energy extraction pathway is glycolysis, and the pyruvate is not further oxidized via the citric acid cycle.
The energy-rich molecule, NADH, is also not utilized during fermentation.
Anaerobic respiration takes place in many environments like freshwater, soil, deep-sea surfaces. Some microbes in oxygenated environments also utilize anaerobic respiration because oxygen cannot readily diffuse through their surface.
Anaerobic respiration and fermentation, both take place in the cytoplasm of the prokaryotic cell.
Anaerobic respiration and fermentation processes take place in the muscle cells during immediate contraction and relaxation.
Examples of Aerobic Respiration
Respiration in humans
The process of cellular respiration in humans is aerobic respiration, where complete oxidation of glucose yields the energy required for the body.
It begins in the cytoplasm of the cell, and the products are then moved into the mitochondria, where further reactions take place.
The oxygen is absorbed by the lungs and is stored in the red blood cells. The oxygen is then passed to the cells that require energy.
Thus, instead of aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration takes place which results in the formation of lactic acid.
This type of anaerobic respiration is called lactic acid fermentation that produces just 2 ATPs per glucose molecules.
The equation of lactic acid fermentation can be written as:
C6H12O6 → C3H6O3 + energy
Lactic acid fermentation in muscles results in the accumulation of lactic acid in the tissues, which leads to sore muscles.
Because less energy is produced per glucose molecule during anaerobic respiration than aerobic respiration, this results in weakness and shortness of breath.
Only about 30% of alcohol can be brewed with yeasts while the higher concentrations are obtained through the distillation process.
As in lactic acid fermentation, fermentation also results in just 2 ATPs as energy.
The overall reaction of fermentation can be written as:
C6H12O6 → C2H5OH + CO2 + energy
Fermentation in methanogens
Methanogens are prokaryotes that belong in archaea.
These organisms are named methanogens because they produce methane as a by-product by oxidizing carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. This process is called methanogenesis.
Methanol poisoning might result in nerve damage or even death in some people.
The overall reaction of methanol production is:
C6H12O6 → CH3OH + CO2 + energy
The most common application of this process can be observed in Swiss cheese.
The overall reaction of this process is:
C12H22O11 → C3H6O2 + CO2 + energy
Answer:
Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy (aerobic respiration)
Glucose → Alcohol + Carbon dioxide + Energy (anaerobic respiration)
Hope it helps~
' ^ '
