BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

School Year 2020 – 2021

1ST QUARTER

Subject: GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 Module Number: 3

Topic: Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration Module Durations: 1 Week

Learning Competencies
1. Differentiate aerobic from anaerobic respiration (STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-6)
2. Explain the major features and sequence the chemical events of cellular respiration
(STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-6)

Learning Materials

 Module
 Laptop/ PC with internet connection
 Pen
 And a lot of patience and understanding 

Discussion

 Aerobic Respiration

Aerobic respiration is a set of metabolic reactions that take place in the presence of oxygen,
occurring in a cell to convert chemical energy into ATPs.
 Aerobic respiration takes place in all plants, animals, birds, and humans, except for some
primitive prokaryotes.
 In aerobic respiration, oxygen acts as an electron acceptor which helps produce ATPs more
effectively and more quickly.
 The double bond in the oxygen has higher energy than other bonds which aids to produce more
ATPs.

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  It is the preferred method of degradation of pyruvate after glycolysis where the pyruvate then enters
the mitochondria to be fully oxidized during the Kreb’s cycle.
 The process of aerobic respiration is utilized for the oxidation of carbohydrates, but products from
fats and proteins are also used as reactants.
 Carbon dioxide gas and water are the two products of aerobic respiration along with the energy that
is used to add a third phosphate group to ADP and form ATP.
 Other energy-rich molecules like NADH and FADH2 are converted into ATP via electron transport
chain with oxygen and protons.
 During aerobic respiration, most ATPs are produced during oxidative phosphorylation where the
energy of oxygen molecule is used to pump protons out of the membrane.
 The passage of protons creates a potential that is then used to initiate ATP synthase and produce
ATP from ADP and a phosphate group.
 Ideally, a total of 38 ATPs are produced at the end of the aerobic respiration. However, some energy
is lost due to leaking of the membrane or the cost of moving pyruvate through the cell, as a result of
which about 29-30 ATPs are only produced.
 Aerobic respiration results in complete oxidation of carbohydrate molecules which take place in the
mitochondria of eukaryotic cells as the enzymes for the process are present there.

 Anaerobic Respiration
Anaerobic respiration is a process of cellular respiration where the high energy electron acceptor is
neither oxygen nor pyruvate derivatives.
 In anaerobic respiration, the electron acceptor can be sulfate ion (SO 4–) or nitrate ion (NO3–) or a
variety of other molecules.
 Some archaea, called methanogens, are known to use carbon dioxide as the electron acceptor,
producing methane as a by-product.
 Similarly, another group of purple sulfur bacteria uses sulfate as an electron acceptor, thus
producing hydrogen sulfide as a by-product.
 These organisms reside in low-oxygen environments and thus opt for anaerobic pathways to break
down the chemical fuels.
 Anaerobic respiration is similar to aerobic respiration in that the molecules enter the electron
transport chain to pass the electrons to the final electron acceptor.

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 The final electron acceptors involved in anaerobic respiration have a smaller reduction potential
than oxygen molecules which results in less energy production.
 Anaerobic respiration, however, is essential for biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and
sulfur.
 The nitrate that acts as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration produces nitrogen gas as a by-
product, and this process is the only route for fixed nitrogen to reach the atmosphere.
 Fermentation is another pathway for anaerobic respiration, where the only energy extraction
pathway is glycolysis, and the pyruvate is not further oxidized via the citric acid cycle.
 The energy-rich molecule, NADH, is also not utilized during fermentation.
 Anaerobic respiration takes place in many environments like freshwater, soil, deep-sea surfaces.
Some microbes in oxygenated environments also utilize anaerobic respiration because oxygen
cannot readily diffuse through their surface.

Basis for comparison Aerobic respiration Anaerobic respiration

Aerobic respiration is a set of Anaerobic respiration is a process

metabolic reactions that take place in of cellular respiration where the
Definition the presence of oxygen, occurring in high energy electron acceptor is
a cell to convert chemical energy neither oxygen nor pyruvate
into ATPs. derivatives.

The overall equation of aerobic The overall equation of anaerobic

respiration is: respiration is:
Overall equation
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + C6H12O6 → C2H5OH + CO2 +
energy energy

Anaerobic respiration takes place

Aerobic respiration takes place in
Presence of Oxygen in a condition where there is a
the presence of oxygen.
low oxygen environment.

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 The exchange of gases doesn’t
There is an exchange of gases during
take place during anaerobic
aerobic respiration where oxygen is
Exchange of gases respiration. However, some gases
absorbed, and carbon dioxide is
like sulfur and nitrogen gases are
released.
released by some organisms.

Aerobic respiration, after glycolysis,

occurs in the mitochondria of Anaerobic respiration occurs only
Location
eukaryotes and cytoplasm of in the cytoplasm of a cell.
prokaryotes.

The end products of aerobic The end products of anaerobic

End products respiration are carbon dioxide, respiration are acids, alcohols,
water, and energy. gases, and energy.

A total of 38 ATPs are produced

Only 2 ATPs are formed during
Energy produced during aerobic respiration, some of
anaerobic respiration.
which are lost during the process.

 Major features and sequence the chemical events of cellular respiration

Cellular respiration is a process that all living things use to convert glucose into energy. Autotrophs (like
plants) produce glucose during photosynthesis. Heterotrophs (like humans) ingest other living things to
obtain glucose.

Cellular respiration is a collection of three unique metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and
the electron transport chain. Glycolysis is an anaerobic process, while the other two pathways are aerobic.
In order to move from glycolysis to the citric acid cycle, pyruvate molecules (the output of glycolysis) must
be oxidized in a process called pyruvate oxidation.

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Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the first pathway in cellular respiration. This pathway is anaerobic and takes place in the
cytoplasm of the cell. This pathway breaks down 1 glucose molecule and produces 2 pyruvate molecules.
There are two halves of glycolysis, with five steps in each half. The first half is known as the “energy
requiring” steps. This half splits glucose, and uses up 2 ATP. If the concentration of pyruvate kinase is high
enough, the second half of glycolysis can proceed. In the second half, the “energy releasing: steps, 4
molecules of ATP and 2 NADH are released. Glycolysis has a net gain of 2 ATP molecules and 2 NADH.

Pyruvate Oxidation

In eukaryotes, pyruvate oxidation takes place in the mitochondria. Pyruvate oxidation can only happen if
oxygen is available. In this process, the pyruvate created by glycolysis is oxidized. In this oxidation process,
a carboxyl group is removed from pyruvate, creating acetyl groups, which compound with coenzyme A
(CoA) to form acetyl CoA. This process also releases CO2.

Citric Acid Cycle

The citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle) is the second pathway in cellular respiration, and it
also takes place in the mitochondria. The rate of the cycle is controlled by ATP concentration. When there
is more ATP available, the rate slows down; when there is less ATP the rate increases. This pathway is a
closed loop: the final step produces the compound needed for the first step.

The citric acid cycle is considered an aerobic pathway because the NADH and FADH2 it produces act as
temporary electron storage compounds, transferring their electrons to the next pathway (electron transport
chain), which uses atmospheric oxygen. Each turn of the citric acid cycle provides a net gain of CO2, 1
GTP or ATP, and 3 NADH and 1 FADH2.

Electron Transport Chain

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Most ATP from glucose is generated in the electron transport chain. It is the only part of cellular respiration
that directly consumes oxygen; however, in some prokaryotes, this is an anaerobic pathway. In eukaryotes,
this pathway takes place in the inner mitochondrial membrane. In prokaryotes it occurs in the plasma
membrane.

The electron transport chain is made up of 4 proteins along the membrane and a proton pump. A cofactor
shuttles electrons between proteins I–III. If NAD is depleted, skip I: FADH2 starts on II. In chemiosmosis,
a proton pump takes hydrogens from inside mitochondria to the outside; this spins the “motor” and the
phosphate groups attach to that. The movement changes from ADP to ATP, creating 90% of ATP obtained
from aerobic glucose catabolism.

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References
 General Biology 1 for Senior High, Faltado,Paz de Leon, Lopez, Lorimar Publishing,
Inc. 2017.
 General Biology 1, Ayuste, Oliva, Diwa Leaning Systems Inc. 2017.
 https://microbenotes.com/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-respiration/#:~:text=Definition-
,Aerobic%20respiration%20is%20a%20set%20of%20metabolic%20reactions%20that%20take,nei
ther%20oxygen%20nor%20pyruvate%20derivatives.

Prepared and Reviewed by:

CARMELA M. DESPUES
General Biology 1 Teacher
Subject Coordinator

Checked by: Recommended by:

JENNY LIZ J. ANYAYAHAN DR. FEDELIZA A. NAMBATAC

Academic Coordinator Principal, Basic Education

Approved by:

BRO. HUBERTUS GURU, SVD

Basic Education Director

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