Cellular Respiration

This week in AP Biology we learned about Cellular Respiration. Cellular Respiration is the process of taking food with 0₂ and creating ATP. Cellular Respiration takes place in and outside of the mitochondria. It can be performed both aerobically and anaerobically although, it is more productive aerobically. The equation for cellular respiration is C₆H₁₂O₆+6O₆ à 6CO₂+6H₂O.

There are three steps in cellular respiration they are glycolysis, The Krebs’s Cycle, and the electron transport chain. Glycolysis is taking glucose and breaking it down into two pyruvates. It occurs outside of the mitochondria in the cytoplasm. This produces two ATPs. After glycolysis the pyruvates are diffused across the mitochondria’s membrane where it is changed to acetyl CoA. From there the acetyl CoA enters the Krebs’s or citric acid cycle. This process produces 6 NADH, 2 FADH₂, and 2 ATPs. After the Krebs’s Cycle the NADH and FADH₂ go to the electron transport chain. There the NADH and FADH₂ release hydrogen atoms across the mitochondria’s membrane. When the outside of the mitochondria is saturated with hydrogen atoms it propels the enzyme ATP synthase to start producing ATP and it can produce up to thirty-four ATPs.

If cellular respiration occurs anaerobically it does not produce as much ATPs. Anaerobic respiration only has one step which is glycolysis. Lactic Acid Fermentation happens when muscle cells are placed under extreme pressure. The muscles cannot get enough oxygen so they start to perform cellular respiration anaerobically. This builds lactic acid in the cells and it can only go away by getting oxygen to the cells. When cellular respiration is performed anaerobically it is not as successful as when performed aerobically.