Anaerobic Respiration (CIE A Level Biology)

• Sometimes cells experience conditions with little or no oxygen
• There are several consequences when there is not enough oxygen available for respiration:
  • There is no final acceptor of electrons from the electron transport chain
  • The electron transport chain stops functioning
  • No more ATP is produced via oxidative phosphorylation
  • Reduced NAD and FAD aren’t oxidised by an electron carrier
  • No oxidised NAD and FAD are available for dehydrogenation in the Krebs cycle
  • The Krebs cycle stops

• However, there is still a way for cells to produce some ATP in low oxygen conditions through anaerobic respiration

Anaerobic pathways

• Some cells are able to oxidise the reduced NAD produced during glycolysis so it can be used for further hydrogen transport
• This means that glycolysis can continue and small amounts of ATP are still produced
• Different cells use different pathways to achieve this
  • Yeast and microorganisms use ethanol fermentation
  • Other microorganisms and mammalian muscle cells use lactate fermentation

Ethanol fermentation

• In this pathway, reduced NAD transfers its hydrogens to ethanal to form ethanol
• In the first step of the pathway, pyruvate is decarboxylated to ethanal
  • Producing CO₂

• Then ethanal is reduced to ethanol by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase
• Ethanal is the hydrogen acceptor
• Ethanol cannot be further metabolised; it is a waste product

Ethanol Fermentation Diagram

The pathway of ethanol fermentation

Lactate fermentation

• In this pathway, reduced NAD transfers its hydrogens to pyruvate to form lactate
• Pyruvate is reduced to lactate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase
• Pyruvate is the hydrogen acceptor
• The final product lactate can be further metabolised

Lactate Fermentation Diagram

The pathway of lactate fermentation

Metabolisation of lactate

• After lactate is produced two things can happen:
  1. It can be oxidised back to pyruvate which is then channelled into the Krebs cycle for ATP production
  2. It can be converted into glycogen for storage in the liver

• The oxidation of lactate back to pyruvate needs extra oxygen
  • This extra oxygen is referred to as an oxygen debt
  • It explains why animals breathe deeper and faster after exercise