Electron Transport Chain

Question

Oxygen is required in aerobic respiration to serve as the final electron acceptor at the end of the electron transport chain. If insufficient amounts of oxygen are present within the cell, how and why will this affect ATP production?

Answer 1

Anaerobic respiration will be the primary pathway and ATP production will decrease. Aerobic respiration is far more energy-efficient than anaerobic respiration. Aerobic processes produce up to 38 ATP per glucose. Anaerobic processes yield only 2 ATP per glucose.