Fermentation / Anaerobic Respiration

Key Questions

  • What are some examples of anaerobic respiration?

    Answer:

    Some examples of anaerobic respiration include alcohol fermentation, lactic acid fermentation.

    Explanation:

    Some examples of anaerobic respiration include alcohol fermentation, lactic acid fermentation (which can result in yogurt and in sore muscles), and in decomposition of organic matter. The equation is: glucose + enzymes = carbon dioxide + ethanol/lactic acid.

    21nothing · 3 · Sep 24 2015
  • What is fermentation?

    Answer:

    Fermentation is an anaerobic metabolic process in which an organism converts a carbohydrate to an alcohol or an acid.

    Explanation:

    The first step in all fermentation processes is glycolysis, the conversion of glucose to pyruvate:

    C6H12O6→2CH3COCOO−+2H2O+2H+

    There are two main types of fermentation; one converts pyruvate into lactate (lactic acid) and the other into ethanol.

    Fermentation
    (from sun.menloschool.org)

    In lactic acid fermentation, pyruvate is converted into lactic acid.

    CH3COCOO−pyruvateenzymes−−−−→2CH3CH(OH)COOHlactic acid

    In alcohol fermentation,the pyruvate is decarboxylated to acetaldehyde, and then into ethanol.

    CH3COCOO−+H+pyruvate decarboxylase−−−−−−−−−−−−−→CH3CHO+CO2

    CH3CHOalcohol dehydrogenase⇌CH3CH2OH

    In an aerobic process, the pyruvate is converted by respiration to carbon dioxide and water.

    Here is a summary of the three possible fates of pyruvate:

    Pyruvate fates
    (rom vishbiochemblog.wordpress.com)

    Ernest Z. · 2 · Sep 27 2015

Questions

Energy In Organisms