Tell the difference between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration.

Answer 1

In any metabolic process, AEROBIC refers to the presence of oxygen, and ANaerobic refers to the absence of oxygen.

During respiration (both aerobic and anaerobic), energy (in the form of ATP) is produced by the Electron Transport Chain (ETC).

The difference between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration is in the terminal electron acceptor. During AEROBIC respiration, oxygen is the terminal electron acceptor. During ANaerobic respiration, another molecule is the terminal electron acceptor (e.g., nitrate, sulfate). (The ability to perform anaerobic respiration only exists in specific organisms.)

Note that fermentation is also an anaerobic process (it occurs in the absence of oxygen), but fermentation does not produce energy via the ETC, and is therefore different from respiration.

Answer 2

Hello Anna T.,

The fundamental difference between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration is the presence of oxygen. During aerobic respiration, oxygen is being used in order to harness chemical energy from sugars, such as glucose. During anaerobic respiration, oxygen is not being used.

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More specifically, in the presence of oxygen (aerobic respiration), chemical energy is gleaned from sugars through three major processes: glycolysis, citric acid cycle processing, and electron transport phosphorylation, with the latter-most process yielding the greatest comparative amount of chemical energy. This chemical energy is stored in synthesized Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP, which is synthesized in conjunction with the final process: electron transport phosphorylation. About 32 ATP molecules are produced for every one glucose (sugar) molecule.

On the other hand, in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic respiration), only one of the three above-mentioned processes occurs: glycolysis, which only yields 2 ATP molecules, i.e. it is comparatively less efficient. Lactic acid also builds up during anaerobic respiration, eventually compelling aerobic respiration once more. Other organisms may produce ethanol (such as yeast) under anaerobic respiration.

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