Why is anaerobic respiration less efficient? What is meant by fermentation?
Answers
Answer:
Anaerobic cell respiration (glycolysis + fermentation) produces 2 ATP/glucose consumed. ... Aerobic cell respiration is roughly 18 times more efficient than anaerobic cell respiration. Your cells require a lot of energy and are dependent on the high efficiency of aerobic respiration. They quickly die if deprived of oxygen.
Answer:
Fermentation
Most science classes discuss fermentation only as an alternative to aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration begins with a process called glycolysis, in which a carbohydrate such as glucose is broken down and, after losing some electrons, forms a molecule called pyruvate. If there's a sufficient supply of oxygen, or sometimes other types of electron acceptors, the pyruvate moves to the next part of aerobic respiration. The process of glycolysis makes a net gain of 2 ATP.
Anaerobic Respiration
Even though fermentation happens without oxygen, it isn't the same as anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration begins the same way as aerobic respiration and fermentation. The first step is still glycolysis, and it still creates 2 ATP from one carbohydrate molecule. However, instead of ending with glycolysis, as fermentation does, anaerobic respiration creates pyruvate and then continues on the same path as aerobic respiration.
After making a molecule called acetyl coenzyme A, it continues to the citric acid cycle. More electron carriers are made and then everything ends up at the electron transport chain. The electron carriers deposit the electrons at the beginning of the chain and then, through a process called chemiosmosis, produce many ATP. For the electron transport chain to continue working, there must be a final electron acceptor. If that acceptor is oxygen, the process is considered aerobic respiration. However, some types of organisms, including many types of bacteria and other microorganisms, can use different final electron acceptors.