Anaerobic Respiration

Anaerobic Respiration is a less effective way to make ATP, but sometimes cells just don't have enough oxygen.

It occurs in the cytoplasm.
It is basically Glycolysis, the first step of aerobic respiration.
Without oxygen, the cell cannot complete the phases of respiration that occur in the mitochondria.
Fermentation is used to recycle the NAD+ so that more glucose can be broken down.

Difference from Aerobic Respiration

Anaerobic Respiration is the process of making ATP by releasing energy from glucose without oxygen.

Most of the ATP in Aerobic Respiration comes from the Electron Transport Chain.

NADH supplies electrons that were taken from the glucose molecule as it was broken down.
- Once the electron is released, NADH becomes NAD+ which can then help break down more glucose.
Electrons provide power for hydrogen pumps in the inner mitochondrial membrane that allow ATP Synthase to make most of the ATP available to cells.
Oxygen removes the electrons so that more can be delivered.
Without oxygen...
- electrons don't leave the ETC
- NADH cannot drop off more electrons
- NAD+ cannot be recycled to break down more glucose
- new ATP cannot be created to keep the cell alive (if you can't breathe, you die)

Anaerobic Respiration is essentially glycolysis because none of the processes in the mitochondria work without oxygen.

Fermentation is a way to recycle NAD+ by using pyruvate to accept the electron from NADH. With no NAD+, the cell cannot break down any more glucose.

Alcoholic Fermentation

Lactic Acid Fermentation

Occurs in animals and bacteria
- usually in animal muscle cells, not the entire body
- Anaerobic respiration does NOT produce enough ATP to keep most animals alive
No carbon dioxide is released
Pyruvate is converted to Lactic Acid
- Acidification is the cause of muscle soreness after an intense workout in which oxygen can't get to the muscle cells fast enough.