Aerobic & Anaerobic Respiration
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 1.3.1
Aerobic vs Anaerobic Respiration
Aerobic respiration is respiration in the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic respiration is respiration in the absence of oxygen.
Aerobic respiration
- In aerobic respiration, oxygen combines with glucose to produce energy in the mitochondria of the cells. The word equation for this process is:
- Glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water (+ energy)
- Aerobic respiration is ideal for endurance events because it has a moderate intensity that can be sustained over a period of time.
Anaerobic respiration
- In anaerobic respiration, glucose is converted directly into energy. The word equation for this process is:
- Glucose → lactic acid (+ energy).
- However, this can only be sustained for a short period of time because of the build-up of toxic lactic acid and a limited supply of glucose.
Differences
The main difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration is how intense they are.
Aerobic
- We need to inhale oxygen during aerobic respiration. This makes the respiration process longer and easier to keep up (moderate intensity).
Anaerobic
- Anaerobic respiration is always accessible for converting glucose directly to energy. This makes it explosive (high intensity). However, this is not sustainable (easy to keep up).
Test yourself on Aerobic & Anaerobic Respiration
Where does aerobic respiration happen in the cells?
Which type of respiration is more intense?
Characteristics of anaerobic respiration