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Anaerobic Respiration definitions

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  • Anaerobic Respiration
    Energy-generating process occurring without oxygen, redirecting pyruvate through fermentation instead of the citric acid cycle.
  • Fermentation
    Metabolic pathway that regenerates NAD+ from NADH, enabling glycolysis to persist in oxygen-limited environments.
  • Glycolysis
    Initial breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, producing ATP and NADH, and serving as the entry point for fermentation.
  • Pyruvate
    Three-carbon molecule formed from glycolysis, serving as a substrate for fermentation when oxygen is absent.
  • NAD+
    Electron carrier regenerated during fermentation, essential for the continuation of glycolysis.
  • NADH
    Reduced electron carrier produced in glycolysis, oxidized back to NAD+ during fermentation.
  • Lactate Fermentation
    Process in animal muscle cells converting pyruvate to lactate, especially during strenuous activity.
  • Lactate Dehydrogenase
    Enzyme catalyzing the reversible reduction of pyruvate to lactate, coupled with NADH oxidation.
  • Alcohol Fermentation
    Two-step process in yeast and bacteria converting pyruvate to ethanol and carbon dioxide.
  • Pyruvate Decarboxylase
    Enzyme facilitating the removal of a carboxyl group from pyruvate, releasing carbon dioxide.
  • Alcohol Dehydrogenase
    Enzyme reducing an aldehyde intermediate to ethanol, coupled with NADH oxidation.
  • Decarboxylation
    Chemical reaction involving the loss of a carbon dioxide molecule from a substrate, forming an aldehyde.
  • Aldehyde
    Intermediate formed after decarboxylation of pyruvate, subsequently reduced to ethanol.
  • Ethanol
    Two-carbon alcohol produced as a final product in alcohol fermentation by yeast and bacteria.
  • Carbon Dioxide
    Gaseous byproduct released during the decarboxylation step of alcohol fermentation.