Final answer:
Aerobic respiration occurs with oxygen, allowing complete glucose oxidation and high ATP yield; anaerobic respiration happens without oxygen, producing less ATP and resulting in substances like lactate. Both start with glycolysis but differ in efficiency and conditions under which they operate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration
The process of cellular respiration can occur both in the presence and absence of oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, the process is known as aerobic respiration and involves the complete oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide and water, producing a high amount of ATP. When oxygen is not available, cells can undergo anaerobic respiration or fermentation, wherein glucose is partially broken down to substances like lactate or ethanol, yielding less ATP.
Both types of respiration begin with glycolysis, where glucose is split into two molecules of pyruvate. In aerobic respiration, these pyruvates are further oxidized in the mitochondria, using oxygen, to generate ATP, while in anaerobic respiration, the process is halted at lactate or ethanol formation in the cytoplasm, producing ATP but no additional oxygen is consumed.
It is crucial to distinguish between the two, as aerobic respiration is a more efficient energy source, providing more ATP, but anaerobic respiration is quicker, allowing organisms to survive temporary oxygen deficits or in environments where oxygen is scarce.