Energy Yield: Aerobic & Anaerobic Respiration (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology)
Revision Note
Aerobic & Anaerobic Respiration
There is a much greater energy yield from respiration in aerobic conditions than in anaerobic conditions
In anaerobic respiration, glucose is only partially oxidised meaning only some of its chemical potential energy is released and transferred to ATP
The only ATP-producing reaction that continues is glycolysis (~2 ATP)
As there is no oxygen to act as the final electron acceptor, none of the reactions within the mitochondria can take place
The stages that take place inside the mitochondria produce much more ATP than glycolysis alone (~36 ATP)
Comparing aerobic & anaerobic respiration table
| Aerobic respiration | Anaerobic respiration |
|---|---|---|
Stages | Glycolysis Link reaction Krebs cycle Oxidative phosphorylation | Glycolysis Fermentation |
Oxidation of glucose | Complete | Incomplete |
Total ATP produced | High (≈36) | Low (2) |
Location | Cytoplasm and mitochondria | Cytoplasm |
Products | CO2, H2O | Yeast: CO2, ethanol Mammals: Lactate |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You won’t be expected to know the total yield of ATP from each stage of respiration in detail but be prepared to explain why aerobic respiration produces substantially more ATP than anaerobic respiration.
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