Explain the Concept of Energy Transfer from one Form to Another in the Context of the Summary Equation for Aerobic Respiration

Edwin Mageto

Cellular respiration learning respiration.

Explain the concept of energy transfer from one form to another in the context of the summary equation for aerobic respiration.

Aerobic respiration can be defined as the process of energy transfer that the cells utilize to convert organic molecules into chemical energy. The chemical reactions involved in aerobic respiration are more or less analogous to the chemical reactions proceeding in the oxidation of organic substances, but no ATP will be generated instead energy will be generated in the form of energy and heat. The equation that shows the oxidation of monosaccharide glucose is

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 ----> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light + heat

Aerobic respiration involves so many reactions, these steps permit the cells to synthesize maximum amount of energy.

Most of plants and animal cells respire aerobically, that is, in the presence of oxygen. However, there are certain microbes that respire in the absence of free oxygen. This respiration is called anaerobic respiration. It is also called fermentation. Among plants, it takes place in yeast, bacteria such as E.coli, Clostridium tetany, etc. Among animals, only certain cells are temporarily anaerobic (when they are short of oxygen) such as the muscle cells. Anaerobic respiration is of two types:

• Alcoholic fermentation

• Lactic acid fermentation

Give an example of how a specific molecule gets recycled from one metabolic reaction to another in the context of photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. In cellular respiration, carbon dioxide (CO2) is recycled. In photosynthesis oxygen is recycled.

What is the specific mechanism (associated with ATP) that drives all cellular work?

Releasing the energy from ATP by breaking off a phosphate groups is what drives all cellular work 

the ATP is built through a series of redox reactions

What is the primary starting molecule for aerobic respiration?

What are the differences between aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentation?

Respiration has two kinds. One is aerobic, involving oxygen and the other is anaerobic or without the use of oxygen. In the same manner, there is also another phase called fermentation more or less the same as anaerobic but still somewhat different.

In the food processing aspect, fermentation has been closely linked to anaerobic respiration because most cases of fermentation do not include oxygen in the process like how grapes are fermented to make wine. Fermentation is technically defined as the conversion of sugar to ethanol (chemically speaking). In simpler terms it is transforming carbohydrates into alcohols.

One of the most striking differences though between fermentation and aerobic respiration is the end product. Fermentation process yields only 2 ATP while the other produces 38 ATP. This gives the impression that aerobic respiration is a more reliable way of harnessing biologic energy.

In another analysis, making ATP is much simple for aerobic respiration because oxygen aids in generating ATP for an indefinite period of time. But in fermentation, ATP is made via electron transport chain and not oxygen and is also transpires for a shorter timeframe only. This makes aerobic respiration approximately 19 times more efficient than fermentation or anaerobic respiration. There’s only 2 ATP produced in fermentation because the rest of the energy is actually combined with the waste materials produced after the fermentation process. As the waste material, ethanol (an alcohol) is obviously an energy resource for petrol gasoline.

Moreover, there are many products of fermentation. If the process occurs in the skeletal muscles, the end result is lactic acid this calling it lactic acid fermentation. This event is pretty ordinary when you overstrain your muscles too much during physical exertion like strenuous exercises. The muscles will actually get deprived of oxygen which leads to anaerobic respiration creating the lactic acid. This acid is what causes muscle cramping. For yeasts, the end result is ethanol hence calling it ethanol or alcoholic fermentation.