Aerobic respiration is the release of energy from glucose or another organic substrate in the presence of Oxygen.

Strictly speaking aerobic means in air, but it is the Oxygen in the air which is necessary for aerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration is in the absence of air. Here is a molecular model of a glucose molecule. You do not need to memorise the diagram for you G S! exam, but it should help you to understand that a molecule of glucose contains six atoms of arbon "shown in blue#, twel$e atoms of Hydrogen "shown in green#, and six atoms of Oxygen "shown in red#.

%n our tissues glucose can be broken down to release energy. &he energy is used to make a substance called Adenosine &ri'(hosphate or A&( as it is usually called. A&( can pro$ide energy for other processes such as muscle contractions. Here is a balanced chemical e)uation for the process of aerobic respiration. You only need to memorise this for the Higher &ier G S! paper, howe$er % am sure that you really want a grade *A* so why not memorise it.

You should be able to see six carbon atoms on each side of the e)uation+ One molecule of glucose contains six atoms of arbon and six molecules of arbon ,ioxide each contain one atom of arbon.

You should also be able to see that the Hydrogen is balanced. One molecule of Glucose contains twel$e atoms of Hydrogen and six molecules of water each contain two atoms of Oxygen. -ow look at the Oxygen. &o make six molecules of arbon ,ioxide we need twel$e atoms of Oxygen and to make six molecules of water we need another six atoms of Oxygen. &hat makes a total of eighteen atoms of Oxygen. &he glucose already contains six atoms of Oxygen so the cell will need a further six molecules of Oxygen from the air. &he basic minimum knowledge for G S! biology is the word e)uation gi$en below. !$en if you don.t understand it you can memorise it like a parrot.

Glucose + Oxygen = Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy

Aerobic respiration takes place in almost all li$ing things. %t is easy to get rid of the arbon ,ioxide and excess water+ this is excretion "the remo$al of the toxic waste products of metabolism#, and maximum energy is released from the glucose. Some organisms can respire in the absence of air/ this is anaerobic respiration. &his does not release so much energy and it produces much more toxic waste products. Howe$er, if Oxygen is not a$ailable, anaerobic respiration is better than nothing. 0hen this happens in our muscles we produce lactic acid which gi$es you cramp. &he bacteria in milk produce the same chemical when they turn it sour. *1actic* means *of milk*. So lactic acid is the acid in sour milk. Yeasts produce alcohol which is also toxic. !$entually there will be so much alcohol that the yeast cannot sur$i$e.