Respiration-anaerobic

• Anaerobic respiration in humans

  Glucose-lactic acid
• Anaerobic respiration

  • Releases less energy than aerobic respiration
  • Releases energy more quickly
• The product of anaerobic respiration is lactic acid
• Lactic acid builds up in muscles


  Causes pain and tiredness, which can lead to cramp
• Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)

  1. Lactic acid reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water

  2. Releases the rest of the energy originally in the glucose
• Respiration

  A chemical reaction which occurs in every one of the cells in the human body and all cells on the entire planet
• Respiration is not the same as breathing
• Types of respiration

  • Aerobic respiration
  • Anaerobic respiration
• Aerobic respiration

  Occurs in the presence of oxygen and in most cells most of the time
• Anaerobic respiration

  Occurs without oxygen and much less frequently than aerobic respiration
• Humans use both aerobic and anaerobic respiration
• Aerobic respiration occurs in mitochondria which are found in the cytoplasm
• Cells which need more energy eg sperm cells which swim or muscle cells which contract and relax have more mitochondria
• Other organisms such as bacteria and yeast do a different version of anaerobic respiration called fermentation