Plants and Fungi

• In plants and fungi, the end product of anaerobic respiration is ethanol and carbon dioxide
• ethanol is not converted back into pyruvate but eliminated as a waste product
• In most plants (the roots) and also in fungi (hyphae) penetrate through the soil or other substances, in which oxygen levels are often very low. The ability to respire anaerobically allows the production of ATP to be maintained within these conditions
• The lower metabolic rates in plants means that the lower ATP yield from anaerobic respiration is not as significant an issue as in mammals