Question

In the presence of oxygen, respiration yields more ATP per molecule of glucose than it does in the absence of oxygen. Explain why. (5)

a) Oxygen increases the efficiency of the mitochondria in generating ATP.
b) Oxygen is a byproduct of respiration and directly produces ATP.
c) The absence of oxygen leads to the formation of more ATP molecules.
d) Oxygen is essential for the complete oxidation of glucose, resulting in the production of more ATP.

Answer 1

Oxygen serves as the necessary final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain during aerobic respiration, enabling the complete oxidation of glucose and yielding much more ATP (36-38) compared to anaerobic respiration (2 ATP).

Step-by-step explanation:

Oxygen is critical in the process of aerobic respiration, because it acts as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. This allows for the complete oxidation of glucose, which in turn leads to the production of a significant amount of ATP. Without oxygen, the process is limited to anaerobic glycolysis, which produces only a small amount of ATP.

The presence of Oxygen in cellular respiration enables the mitochondria to break down glucose all the way to carbon dioxide, thereby releasing enough energy to produce between 36 to 38 ATP molecules. This process, known as aerobic respiration, is much more efficient than anaerobic respiration, which can only produce 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule.

It’s essential to understand that Oxygen is not directly producing ATP but is an indispensable part of the electron transport chain. This chain, which occurs in the mitochondria, is responsible for the bulk of ATP made during cellular respiration. Hence, adequate Oxygen levels increase the efficiency of ATP generation in cells.