Respiration

• Comparison between Aerobic Respiration & Fermentation:

  Similarities:

  • Breakdown process of glucose and chemical energy conversion
  • Both processes start in the cytoplasm
  • Both processes can occur in yeast, bacteria, animals, and plants

  Differences:

  • Both processes begin with glycolysis
  • Aerobic Respiration:
  • Oxygen supply: continuous and sufficient
  • Breakdown of glucose: complete
  • Site of action: Cytoplasm and mitochondria
  • Energy production: one molecule of glucose gives 2898 kJ of energy
  • End products: Carbon dioxide and water
  • Fermentation:
  • Oxygen supply: limited or completely absent
  • Breakdown of glucose: incomplete
  • Site of action: cytoplasm
  • Energy production: one molecule of glucose gives 210 kJ (alcoholic fermentation) or 150 kJ (lactic acid fermentation) of energy
• • End product: ethanol and carbon dioxide (fermentation with yeast) or lactic acid (in muscle)
• Lactic acid fermentation can happen in human muscle cells during vigorous exercise when oxygen is insufficient, leading to an oxygen debt that must be repaid
• Anaerobic respiration in animal leg muscles results in a small amount of energy and lactic acid production when oxygen is not received fast enough
• Fermentation is a metabolic process where glucose molecules are broken down anaerobically, leading to the production of ethanol, carbon dioxide, and energy in alcoholic fermentation, or lactic acid and energy in lactic acid fermentation