How does anaerobic respiration occur

Related questions How do fermentation and anaerobic respiration differ? What are some examples of anaerobic respiration? What is fermentation? Where does anaerobic respiration occur? What metabolic pathway is common for both aerobic respiration and fermentation? The proportions vary in different muscles. Slow-twitch fibers are geared toward sustained activity and normally rely primarily on aerobic respiration, although they can employ anaerobic respiration if necessary.

Fast-twitch muscle fibers are functionally geared toward anaerobic respiration because it generates energy much faster -- up to times faster -- than aerobic respiration. However, since anaerobic respiration is less efficient than aerobic respiration, fast-twitch muscle fibers fatigue relatively quickly.

Glycolysis is the first biochemical process in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. This multistep process employs several enzymes to breakdown glucose. Each molecule of glucose broken down ultimately yields 2 molecules of pyruvate and 2 molecules of adenosine triphosphate ATP. ATP stores the energy needed to power cellular functions. With aerobic respiration, the pyruvate generated from glycolysis goes through an additional series of biochemical reactions to generate more ATP.

This does not occur with anaerobic respiration. With anaerobic respiration in humans, the pyruvate molecules generated during glycolysis are converted into lactate. Aerobic respiration is relatively slower than anaerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration occurs in most of the higher species including plants and animals.

Cellular respiration in humans is an example. In anaerobic respiration, the process occurs in the absence of oxygen. Examples of an anaerobic respiration equation are the following:. During anaerobic respiration exchange of gases does not take place. However, some organisms release some gases, such as sulfur and nitrogen gases.

Anaerobic respiration can be found only in the cytoplasm of a cell. The end products of anaerobic respiration vary, such as gases, alcohols, acids, and energy. In fermentation, only 2 ATPs are produced.

Also, there is incomplete oxidation of carbohydrates. It occurs in simple prokaryotes, yeasts, and the muscle cells of humans during intense exercise. Anaerobic respiration is shorter than aerobic respiration.

To summarize what has been described so far, here are the equations of various cellular respirations:. All living organisms undergo cellular respiration. In certain types of bacteria and yeast, anaerobic respiration is preferred. It gives them the advantage of surviving or thriving in an anoxic environment that would be lethal to aerobic organisms.

Anaerobic respiration also has a very high speed. It produces ATP very rapidly. Aerobic respiration, on the other hand, produces ATP rather slowly. One of the most significant functions of fermentation is that it protects the cells from dying in the small amount of time between each breath and during intense activity when the red blood cells fail to provide adequate oxygen to the body cells due to under-oxygenation.

Fermentation takes over as this happens and releases a substance called lactic acid which keeps the cells of the body intact during the above-mentioned cycles of under-oxygenation. Although this quite useful for the time being, yet unfortunately, a build-up of lactic acid may cause discomfort in the muscles later. Lactic acid production in muscles. During vigorous exercise, our muscles use oxygen to generate more ATP as compared to the supply. When this happens, the muscle cells undergo glycolysis faster than they can supply oxygen to the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

As a result, anaerobic respiration and lactic acid fermentation occur within the cells and during extended activity, the built-up lactic acid will keep our muscles painful. Alcoholic fermentation by yeasts. Fermentation is another category of anaerobic respiration that occurs in anaerobic organisms such as yeast. When carbohydrate-rich substances are bottled with yeasts to ensure a minimal oxygen level in the container, yeasts undergo the process of anaerobic respiration.

As a process, fermentation occurs where the yeast converts sugars into ethyl alcohol. Methanogens are prokaryotes that belong to the Archaea.

These species are considered methanogens because they produce methane as a by-product by oxidizing carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. This process is called methanogenesis. It is also a type of fermentation that results in the production of methanol, specific alcohol. This process is also referred to as methanol poisoning. Methanol poisoning can lead to nerve injury or even death in some cases. The carbon dioxide is a waste product of aerobic respiration because cells do not need it.

The first stages of respiration occur in the cytoplasm of plant and animal cells, but most of the stages of respiration that release energy happen in the mitochondria. Microorganisms do not have mitochondria - they carry out respiration only in the cytoplasm.

Most organisms cannot respire without oxygen but some organisms and tissues can continue to respire if the oxygen runs out. In conditions of low or no oxygen the process of anaerobic respiration occurs. The 'an' in 'anaerobic' means without. During anaerobic respiration, the oxidation of glucose is incomplete - not all of the energy can be released from the glucose molecule as it is only partially broken down.

The reaction therefore releases much less energy than aerobic respiration - around only a nineteenth of the energy released during aerobic respiration. This means that fewer molecules of ATP can be made.