SHS STEM - BIOLOGY 1

Quarter 2 – Module 5
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
Respiration

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General Biology 1 – Grade 11

Quarter 2 – Module 5: AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

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Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin
 DEVELOPMENT TEAM OF THE MODULE

WRITER: Maricar P. Paz

REVIEWERS/EDITORS: Rowena D. Manaog

Freddierick C. Apuli
Ma. Lota C. Monte
Jade Alberto

LAYOUT ARTISTS: Jay Mark Base

Jonathan Roda
Jessica De Ocampo

“Differentiate aerobic from anaerobic respiration”

STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-6
AEROBICVS. ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

What Is In?
Living cells require transfusions of energy from outside sources to perform
their many tasks—for example, assembling polymers, pumping substances across
membranes, moving, and reproducing. Herbivores obtain energy for its cells by
eating the leaves of plants; some other animals obtain energy by feeding on other
organisms that eat plants. The energy stored in the organic molecules of food
ultimately comes from the sun. Energy flows into an ecosystem as sunlight and exits
as heat; in contrast, the chemical elements essential to life are recycled.
Photosynthesis generates oxygen and organic molecules that are used by the
mitochondria of eukaryotes (including plants and algae) as fuel for cellular
respiration. Respiration breaks this fuel down, generating ATP. The waste products
of this type of respiration, carbon dioxide and water, are the raw materials for
photosynthesis. (Reece, et al. 2014)
Since in the previous module you learned about how photosynthesis
generates oxygen and glucose. In this module, you will learn how cells harvest the
chemical energy stored in organic molecules and use it to generate ATP, the
molecule that drives most cellular work through the process of cellular respiration. In
order for you to grasp the connection of this lesson to you, try to describe what
happens when you breathe? As you know, respiration is the process of breathing.
However, cellular respiration is not the same thing as breathing, but they are closely
related. When you breathe in, you take in the oxygen your cells need for cellular
respiration. When you breathe out, you get rid of the carbon dioxide that your cells
produce during cellular respiration. Cellular respiration by technical definition
includes aerobic and anaerobic process

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
• Differentiate aerobic from anaerobic respiration
• Explain the major features and sequence the chemical events of
cellular respiration

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Here are the terms that will guide you as you go along the module:
Acetyl coA - Acetyl coenzyme A; the entry compound for the citric acid cycle in
cellular respiration, formed from a two-carbon fragment of pyruvate attached to a
coenzyme.
Aerobic respiration - A catabolic pathway for organic molecules, using oxygen (O2)
as the final electron acceptor in an electron transport chain and ultimately producing
ATP. This is the most efficient catabolic pathway and is carried out in most
eukaryotic cells and many prokaryotic organisms. It requires oxygen
Anaerobic respiration – catabolic pathway in which inorganic molecules other than
oxygen accept electrons at the “downhill” end of electron transport chains. It does not
require oxygen.
ADP – Adenosine Diphospate, nucleotide that functions in the transfer of energy
during the catabolism of glucose, formed by the removal of a phosphate from
adenosine triphosphate and composed of adenine, ribose, and two phosphate group
ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate, a nucleotide found in the mitochondria of all plant
and animal cells. It is the major source of energy for cellular reactions, this energy
being released during its conversion to ADP
Electron Transport Chain – contains the chain members (carrier and protein
complexes, ATP synthase complex and ATP protein. These membrane proteins
shuttle electrons during the redox reactions. The electrons will be used to produce
ATP by chemiosmosis.

𝐅𝐀𝐃𝐇𝟐 - the reduced form of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)

Glycolysis – the breakdown of glucose to pyruvic acid, means “sugar splitting” that
occurs in the cytosol of the cell. It does not require oxygen to breakdown glucose into
pyruvate.
Krebs cycle – completes the metabolic breakdown of glucose to carbon dioxide and
produces 2 ATP.
NADH - stands for "nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H)." This
chemical occurs naturally in the body and plays a role in the chemical process that
generates energy
Oxidative phosphorylation – a process occurring in mitochondria and accounts for
majority of the ATP production.

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What I Know:
Multiple Choice: Read each item carefully and choose the letter that best describe
the statement.
1. What type of respiration requires oxygen?
a. Aerobic
b. Anaerobic
2. What type of respiration does not require oxygen?
a. Aerobic
b. Anaerobic
3. What are the products of aerobic respiration?
a. Glucose and oxygen
b. Carbon dioxide and water
c. Lactic acid
d. Carbon monoxide
4. What are the products of anaerobic respiration?
a. Glucose and oxygen
b. Carbon dioxide and water
c. Lactic acid
d. Carbon monoxide
5. Where in the cell does aerobic respiration take place?
a. Nucleus
b. Cytoplasm
c. Mitochondria
d. Cell membrane
6. What is one of the reactants of cellular respiration?
a. Energy
b. Glucose
c. carbon dioxide
d. water
7. Which is the correct equation for aerobic respiration in humans?
a. glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
b. glucose + oxygen → lactic acid
c. glucose → lactic acid
d. none of the above
8. Which of these is a difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration in
humans?
a. Aerobic respiration releases less energy than anaerobic respiration does
b. Glucose is completely broken down in aerobic respiration but not in anaerobic
respiration

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 c. Anaerobic respiration produces ethanol but aerobic respiration does not d.
Both a and b
9. Which of these is a correctly balanced equation for respiration?
a. C6H12O6 + 3O2 → CO2 + 3H2O
b. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O
c. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6 CO2 + 3 H2O
d. C6H12O6 + 6O2 →126 CO2 + 3 H2O
10. What products are made during anaerobic respiration in yeast?
a. Carbon dioxide and water
b. Ethanol and water
c. Ethanol and carbon dioxide
d. Ethanol, oxygen and water

What Is New?
Before you go through the lesson, try to do the following activity:

Practice Task 1:
Answer the following questions on your activity notebook or in a separate sheet of
paper depending on what your subject teacher instructed:
1. What are the major parts of the mitochondrion?
_______________________________________________________
2. What is the function of each part?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. What would happen if each part were missing?
_______________________________________________________
4. What is your conclusion?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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 Using the diagram on the below , fill out the missing
information on the table below the diagram:

Note: Citric
acid cycle is
the same as
Krebs cycle

Courtesy: Seager, Samantha. “Process:Overview of Cellular Respiration”. uic.edu, saved to pinterest BCHM 2024: Concepts
of Biochemistry, https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/253609022738923123/?autologin=true. Accessed 11 August 2020

What is it?
Cellular respiration can be aerobic (meaning "with oxygen") or anaerobic
("without oxygen"). Which route the cells take to create the ATP depends solely on
whether or not there is enough oxygen present to undergo aerobic respiration. If
there is not enough oxygen present for aerobic respiration, then some organisms will
resort to using anaerobic respiration or other anaerobic processes such as
fermentation. In order to maximize the amount of ATP made in the process of
cellular respiration, oxygen must be present. As eukaryotic species evolved over
time, they became more complex with more organs and body parts. It became
necessary for cells to be able to create as much ATP as possible to keep these new
adaptations running properly. Early Earth's atmosphere had very little oxygen. It
wasn't until after autotrophs became abundant and released large amounts of
oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis that aerobic respiration could evolve. The
oxygen allowed each cell to produce many times more ATP than their ancient
ancestors that relied on anaerobic respiration. This process happens in the cell
organelle called the mitochondria. More primitive are the processes that many
organisms undergo when not enough oxygen is present. The most commonly known
anaerobic processes are known as fermentation. Most anaerobic processes start out
the same way as aerobic respiration, but they stop partway through the pathway
because the oxygen is not available for it to finish the aerobic respiration process, or

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they join with another molecule that is not oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
Fermentation makes many fewer ATP and also releases byproducts of either lactic
acid or alcohol, in most cases. Anaerobic processes can happen in the mitochondria
or in the cytoplasm of the cell. (Scoville, 2019)
Lactic acid fermentation is the type of anaerobic process humans undergo if
there is a shortage of oxygen. For example, long distance runners experience a
buildup of lactic acid in their muscles because they are not taking in enough oxygen
to keep up with the demand of energy needed for the exercise. The lactic acid can
even cause cramping and soreness in the muscles as time goes on. Alcoholic
fermentation does not happen in humans. Yeast is a good example of an organism
that undergoes alcoholic fermentation. The same process that goes on in the
mitochondria during lactic acid fermentation also happens in alcoholic fermentation.
The only difference is that the byproduct of alcoholic fermentation is ethyl alcohol.
Alcoholic fermentation is important for the beer industry. Beer makers add yeast
which will undergo alcoholic fermentation to add alcohol to the brew. Wine
fermentation is also similar and provides the alcohol for the wine. Aerobic respiration
is more efficient at making ATP than anaerobic processes like fermentation. Without
oxygen, the Krebs Cycle and the Electron Transport Chain in cellular respiration get
backed up and will not work any longer. This forces the cell to undergo the much less
efficient fermentation. While aerobic respiration can produce up to 36 ATP, the
different types of fermentation can only have a net gain of 2 ATP. (Scoville, 2019)

The harvesting of energy from glucose by cellular respiration is a cumulative

function of three metabolic stages.
1. Glycolysis
2. Pyruvate oxidation and the citric acid cycle/ Krebs cycle
3. Oxidative phosphorylation: Electron transport and chemiosmosis
Biochemists usually reserve the term cellular respiration for stages 2 and 3
together. In this module as adopted from Campbell Biology 10 th edition, included
glycolysis as a part of cellular respiration because most respiring cells deriving
energy from glucose use glycolysis to produce the starting material for the citric acid
cycle.

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 Figure 1. An overview of cellular
respiration. Reprinted from
Pearson Education, Inc.,
Permiss ions Department, 1900 E. Lake Ave., Glenview, IL 60025, by
Library of Congress Cataloging -inPublication Data , 2014 Campbell biology / Jane B. Reece [and five
others].—Tenth edition.

An overview of cellular respiration. During glycolysis, each glucose molecule is broken down into
two molecules of the compound pyruvate. In eukaryotic cells, as shown here, the pyruvate enters
the mitochondrion. There it is oxidized to acetyl CoA, which is further oxidized t o CO2 in the citric
acid cycle. NADH and a similar electron carrier, a coenzyme called FADH2, transfer electrons
derived from glucose to electron transport chains, which are built into the inner mitochondrial
membrane. (In prokaryotes, the electron transport chains are located in the plasma membrane.)
During oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport chains convert the chemical energy to a form
used for ATP synthesis in the process called chemiosmosis.

As diagrammed in Figure 1, glycolysis and pyruvate oxidation followed by the

citric acid cycle are the catabolic pathways that break down glucose and other
organic fuels. Glycolysis, which occurs in the cytosol, begins the degradation process
by breaking glucose into two molecules of a compound called pyruvate. In
eukaryotes, pyruvate enters the mitochondrion and is oxidized to a compound called
acetyl CoA, which enters the citric acid cycle. There, the breakdown of glucose to
carbon dioxide is completed. (In prokaryotes, these processes take place in the

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cytosol.) Thus, the carbon dioxide produced by respiration represents fragments of
oxidized organic molecules. Some of the steps of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle
are redox reactions in which dehydrogenases transfer electrons from substrates to
NAD+, forming NADH. In the third stage of respiration, the electron transport chain
accepts electrons (most often via NADH) from the breakdown products of the first
two stages and passes these electrons from one molecule to another. The energy
released at each step of the chain is stored in a form the mitochondrion (or
prokaryotic cell) can use to make ATP from ADP. This mode of ATP synthesis is
called oxidative phosphorylation because it is powered by the redox reactions of the
electron transport chain. In eukaryotic cells, the inner membrane of the
mitochondrion is the site of electron transport and chemiosmosis, the processes that
together constitute oxidative phosphorylation. (In prokaryotes, these processes take
place in the plasma membrane.) Oxidative phosphorylation accounts for almost 90%
of the ATP generated by respiration. A smaller amount of ATP is formed directly in a
few reactions of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle by a mechanism called substrate-
level phosphorylation (Figure 9.7). This mode of ATP synthesis occurs when an
enzyme transfers a phosphate group from a substrate molecule to ADP, rather than
adding an inorganic phosphate to ADP as in oxidative phosphorylation. “Substrate
molecule” here refers to an organic molecule generated as an intermediate during
the catabolism of glucose. You will see examples of substrate-level phosphorylation
later in the chapter, in both glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. When you withdraw a
relatively large sum of money from an ATM machine, it is not delivered to you in a
single bill of larger denomination. Instead, a number of smaller denomination bills are
dispensed that you can spend more easily. This is analogous to ATP production
during cellular respiration. For each molecule of glucose degraded to carbon dioxide
and water by respiration, the cell makes up to about 32 molecules of ATP, each with
7.3 kcal/mol of free energy. Respiration cashes in the large denomination of energy
banked in a single molecule of glucose (686 kcal/mol) for the small change of many
molecules of ATP, which is more practical for the cell to spend on its work. This
preview has introduced you to how glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative
phosphorylation fit into the process of cellular respiration.

(Note: For a detailed discussion, read Campbell biology 10th edition, pp. 162-
184)

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What’s More
Practice Task 2: Fill out the table and distinguish how the types of respiration are
alike and different. You may read additional sources, references must be cited
properly.
Comparing Graphic Organizer
AEROBIC RESPIRATION ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION
How alike?

AEROBIC RESPIRATION ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION

How different?

Summary and Conclusion

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Directions: This is a modified true or false activity. Write the word TRUE if the
underlined word/phrase being referred to is correct. If it is false, change the
word/phrase to make the whole statement correct based on the concept of cellular
respiration. Write your answer on the space provided before each number.
_________1. Fermentation and anaerobic respiration enable the cells to produce
ATP without the use of oxygen.
_________2. The term cellular respiration includes both aerobic and anaerobic
processes.
_________3. Fermentation is a complete degradation of sugars or other fuel that
occurs without the use of oxygen.
_________4. An electron transport system consists of a number of molecules,
majority are proteins, located in the matrix of the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and
the plasma membrane of aerobic prokaryotes.
_________5. Pyruvate oxidation and the citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation:
electron transport chain and chemiosmosis are the metabolic stages reserved for
cellular respiration.
_________6. The breakdown of glucose to carbon dioxide is completed in the
electron transport chain.
_________7. ATP synthase is the enzyme that makes the bulk of the ATP from ADP
and Pi by chemiosmosis
_________8. ATP synthase uses the energy of an existing hydrogen ion gradient to
power ATP synthesis.
_________9. Phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP stores at least 14.6 kcal per
molecule of ATP.
________10. Citric acid cycle generates 2 ATP whether oxygen is present or not,
whether the conditions are aerobic or anaerobic.
Multiple Choice: Read each item carefully and choose the letter that best describe
the statement.
11. What type of respiration requires oxygen?
a. Aerobic
b. Anaerobic
12. What type of respiration does not require oxygen?
a. Aerobic
b. Anaerobic

13. What are the products of aerobic respiration?

a. Glucose and oxygen
b. Carbon dioxide and water
c. Lactic acid

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 d. Carbon monoxide
14. What are the products of anaerobic respiration?
e. Glucose and oxygen
f. Carbon dioxide and water
g. Lactic acid
h. Carbon monoxide
15. Where in the cell does aerobic respiration take place?
a. Nucleus
b. Cytoplasm
c. Mitochondria
d. Cell membrane
16. What is one of the reactants of cellular respiration?
a. Energy
b. Glucose
c. carbon dioxide
d. water
17. Which is the correct equation for aerobic respiration in humans?
a. glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
b. glucose + oxygen → lactic acid
c. glucose → lactic acid
d. none of the above
18. Which of these is a difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration
in humans?
a. Aerobic respiration releases less energy than anaerobic respiration
does
b. Glucose is completely broken down in aerobic respiration but not in
anaerobic respiration
c. Anaerobic respiration produces ethanol but aerobic respiration does
not d. Both a and b
19. Which of these is a correctly balanced equation for respiration?
a. C6H12O6 + 3O2 → CO2 + 3H2O
b. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2+ 6H2O
c. C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 3H2O
d. C6H12O6 + 6O2 →126CO2 + 3H2O
20. What products are made during anaerobic respiration in yeast?
a. Carbon dioxide and water
b. Ethanol and water
c. Ethanol and carbon dioxide
d. Ethanol, oxygen and water

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