Anaerobic Respiration

Anaerobic respiration is a process in which organisms produce energy in absence of oxygen. The following article will cover all the information related to what is anaerobic respiration.

Respiration is an impo0rtant process of life. This process is a biochemical pathway that releases energy from the chemical bonds in glucose and this energy is used to carry out the other essential functions of life. Each and every living cell follows cellular respiration. Cellular respiration can be carried out by two different pathways. The cellular respiration that occurs in presence of oxygen is called aerobic cellular respiration. And the cellular respiration that occurs in absence of oxygen is anaerobic cellular respiration.

In prokaryotic cells the cellular respiration steps are carried out within the cytoplasm and the inner surfaces of the cells. In case of eukaryotic cells, mitochondria is the site of energy production. Energy is produced in form of ATP, that is, Adenosine Triphospahate. The following aerobic cellular respiration diagram will help you understand the process of ATP generation. Read more on aerobic respiration steps.

Aerobic Cellular Respiration

Glucose → Glycolysis → TCA Cycle → Electron Transport Chain → ATP

In cellular respiration, the by product is CO2. This metabolic waste binds with water and forms carbonic acid that is essential to maintain the pH of the blood. If CO2 is in excess, it will lower the blood pH. Therefore, the excess CO2 is removed from the body regularly. This was in short about aerobic respiration. This was to help you understand what is anaerobic respiration. The following paragraph will help you learn the anaerobic respiration process in detail. You can read more in detail on what is aerobic respiration and cellular respiration formula.

What is Anaerobic Respiration Process?

The anaerobic respiration definition states that it is the pathway where the oxidation of molecules occurs in the absence of oxygen to produce energy. The first step in all cellular respiration pathways is glycolysis that takes place without the presence of molecular oxygen. If there is oxygen in the cell, then it automatically turns to aerobic respiration with the help of Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA). The TCA cycle helps in production of usable energy in the form of ATP that is higher in quantity than any anerobic respiration process.

The anaerobic cellular respiration process is the sole cycle for production of energy for many anerobic bacteria. Many eukaryotic cells also switch on their anaerobic respiration process in case the oxygen supply is low. The best example for anaerobic respiration process in eukaryotic cells is the human muscles. Let me explain this through the following example:

Example of Anaerobic Respiration Process in Muscles

When we exercise, out body responds to the working muscles by supplying more oxygen. In presence of oxygen, the glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. But when we follow extraneous activities, the oxygen level in the muscle tissue decreases. This is because the supply does not meet the demands. This low level oxygen, results in anaerobic respiration of the cells and there is excess of lactic acid build up to provide the much needed ATP molecules for cellular functions. This makes your muscles get tired and suffer from cramps.

Anaerobic Respiration Equation

In anaerobic respiration process, the first step glycolysis is an aerobic cellular respiration. This step yields 2 ATP molecules. The product of glycolysis is Pyruvate, that is used in anaerobic respiration fermentation. This anaerobic respiration fermentation helps in production of ethanol and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) or for production of lactate and NAD+. The production of NAD+ is very necessary as glycolysis uses it and if there is depletion of NAD+, it will lead to cell death. Anaerobic respiration process follows Krebs cycle and occurs in the fluid of cytoplasm . The major energy yield of aerobic respiration takes place in the mitochondria. A lot of energy goes waste in form of ethanol and lactate molecules as the cell cannot utilize them. Instead they excrete these products as waste. Anaerobic respiration takes place in form of two pathways, that is, alcoholic fermentation and lactic acid fermentation. The following is the chemical anaerobic respiration equation.

Anaerobic Respiration Formula

2ATP"+ C 6H 1206 Enzymes 2CH3CH2OH + 2CO2 + 4ATP

You can read more on aerobic and anaerobic respiration. The anaerobic respiration is energetically less efficient than aerobic respiration. This was all about anaerobic respiration in short. There are many enzymes and molecules that are involved in the anaerobic pathway. This article was attempted to summarize the anaerobic respiration process in short. I hope you find the information in this article on what is anaerobic respiration to be useful.