 Respiration is the release of energy from

food.
◦ Respiration is controlled by enzymes which allow
energy to be released in small amounts.
◦ The energy is then trapped in ATP molecules.

 There are two types of respiration:

◦ Aerobic Respiration
◦ Anaerobic Respiration
 Aerobic respiration is the controlled release
of energy from food using oxygen.
◦ Living things that get their energy from aerobic respiration
are called aerobes.

 It is represented by the balanced equation:

C6H12O6 + 6O2 6H2O + 6CO2 + Energy
(glucose) (oxygen) (water) (carbon (ATP)
dioxide)

 Aerobic respiration is a two-stage process.

Stage One
 This stage takes place in the cytosol of the
cell.
◦ The cytosol is the fluid in which the cells organelles
are suspended.
 It does not use oxygen.
 Glucose is split into two 3-carbon molecules.
 A small amount of energy is released.
Stage Two
 This stage takes place in the mitochondrion.
 Oxygen is used in this stage.
 The 3-carbon molecules are completely
broken down and CO2 and H2O are formed.
 A large amount of energy is released.
 Anaerobic respiration is the controlled release
of energy from food without the use of
oxygen.

 Anaerobic respiration can occur in the

presence of oxygen but does not use oxygen.
◦ It is therefore a Stage One process.

 It is exactly the same as Stage One of aerobic

respiration.
 In anaerobic respiration the 3-carbon
molecules produced are converted into either:
◦ Lactic Acid
◦ Ethanol and CO2

 Anaerobic respiration is also known as

fermentation.
◦ Living things that get their energy from anaerobic
respiration are called anaerobes.
 Lactic acid fermentation occurs in some
bacteria and fungi and also in mammal
muscle when it is short of oxygen.

 This type of fermentation is represented by

the word equation:
Small amount
Glucose 2 Lactic Acid + of energy
 Lactic acid is formed when bacteria:
◦ Cause milk to go sour.
◦ Respire on grass in silage making.
◦ Act on dairy products to make cheese and yoghurt.

 When we exercise and get out of breath not

enough oxygen can reach our muscles and
anaerobic respiration takes place.
◦ This forms lactic acid which causes cramps.
◦ When you rest the lactic acid is brought to the liver
and is broken down.
 Alcohol fermentation takes place in some
bacteria, in fungi (such as yeast) and in plants
when they are deprived of oxygen.

 This type of fermentation is represented by

the equation: Small amount
Glucose 2 Ethanol + 2CO2 + of energy
(high in energy)

 In baking the ethanol produced by the yeast

evaporates but the CO2 causes the dough to
rise.
 Biotechnology refers to the use of living things
(such as microorganisms and enzymes) to
carry out useful reactions or to make useful
products.

 In industrial fermentation the microorganisms

are placed in a bioreactor under suitable
conditions and with a suitable substrate on
which it acts.
◦ Bacteria can make yoghurt, antibiotics and enzymes.
◦ Yeast can make ethanol, CO2 and single cell protein.
◦ Other fungi can make citric acid and antibiotics.
 When microorganisms are used in a
bioreactor they are removed along with the
product at the end.
◦ They must then be removed from the product.
◦ New microorganisms must be produced to replace
those lost.
◦ This is wasteful and costly.

 To prevent this problem the microorganisms

are often immobilised.
◦ This can be done in the same way as enzyme
immobilisation e.g. yeast cells in sodium alginate.
 Advantages of using immobilised cells
include:
◦ Immobilised cells can be reused reducing time and
cost.
◦ Immobilised cells can be easily recovered reducing
unwanted material in the product and need for
filtration.

 The use of immobilised cells is becoming

more popular than immobilised enzymes as
time and money is wasted isolating and
purifying enzymes.
Extended Study (Higher Level)
Stage One – Glycolysis
 Stage One is known as glycolysis.
 Glucose (a 6-carbon molecule) is split into
two 3-carbon molecules called pyruvic acid
or pyruvate.
 Glycolysis does not require oxygen.
 Some of the energy released is used to form
2 ATP molecules and 2 NADH molecules.
 Most of the energy that was in the glucose is
kept in the pyruvate.
Stage Two
 If oxygen is present the pyruvate enters a
mitochondrion.
 It loses a CO2 molecule and two high energy
electrons to form a 2-carbon molecule called
acetyl coenzyme A (known as acetyl CoA).
◦ The electrons combine with NAD+ and a proton (H+)
to form NADH.
 Each NADH enters an electron transport
system.
Krebs Cycle
 Acetyl CoA now enters into a series of
reactions called Krebs cycle.
 In Krebs cycle acetyl CoA is broken down into
CO2 and protons (H+).
 The energy that was in the acetyl CoA is
released in the form of high energy electrons.
◦ These combine with the H+ and NAD+ to form
NADH (which enters an electron transport system).
 At one point in Krebs cycle a single ADP and P
is converted to ATP and water.
Electron Transport System

Electron transport molecule

 The electron transport systems are located on
the inner membrane of the mitochondrion.
◦ Infoldings of the inner membrane increase the
surface area and allow larger numbers of the
systems to fit on the membrane.

 Each system consists of a number of electron

transport molecules (mainly proteins).
 High energy electrons are passed from the
NADH to the first electron transport
molecule.

 As the electrons pass from molecule to

molecule they lose some of their energy.
◦ This energy is used to form ATP.

 At the end of each system the low energy

electrons are removed by combining them
with oxygen and hydrogen to form water.
 Glycolysis occurs as in Stage One of aerobic
respiration.

 In the absence of oxygen the pyruvic acid

does not enter the mitochondrion but is
instead converted to either lactic acid or
ethanol and carbon dioxide.
◦ In each case the NADH molecules that were
produced in glysolysis break down to release two
electrons and a proton.
◦ These combine with the pyruvic acid to form either
lactic acid or ethanol and carbon dioxide.
◦ The pyruvic acid is said to be reduced.
 Aerobic Anaerobic

Cytosol +
Location Cytosol
Mitochondria

O2 Requirement Uses O2 Does not use O2

Lactic Acid
End Products CO2 + H2O or
Ethanol + CO2

Energy Produced Lots of Energy Little Energy