Question

Glucose can be consumed for energy in three ways one ends with glucose being converted into CO2,

another way it is converted into lactic acid/actate, and the third way ends with ethanol. We humans use
the first two ways. What do we call each of the three ways? When/why would we use each of the first
two ways, and why not the third way?

Answer 1

In humans, there are two major processes used to convert glucose into energy. cellular respiration or aerobic respiration is one of these processes that take place in presence of oxygen that converts glucose into CO2.

The other process is lactic acid fermentation occurs in muscles in case of depletion of oxygen which converts glucose into lactic acid.

The third process is alcoholic fermentation does not take place in humans and occurs in yeast and some bacteria where they produce ethanol.

Humans cannot use alcoholic fermentation in their own body ferment as there is no genetic information in us to do so as it has encoded in yeast and bacteria.