Fundamentals of Biology

Glycolysis, Respiration, and Fermentation

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Session Overview

This session will outline the cellular mechanisms for harvesting energy from glucose and related sugars. It will briefly outline glycolysis as a mechanism to generate ATP and discuss the fate of the pyruvate produced in glycolysis under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Learning Objectives To understand how cells harvest chemical energy by oxidizing glucose to pyruvate. To know the different ways that pyruvuate is catabolized based upon the presence and absence of oxygen. To understand what fermentation is, when it occurs, and why it is important. To understand what the Citric acid cycle is, when it occurs, and why it is important. To understand what Oxidative Phosphorylation is, when it occurs, and why it is important.

Session Activities

Lecture Video

Watch the lecture video excerpt

• Glycolysis, Respiration, and Fermentation

Check Yourself

Question 1

In the process of glycolysis, one glucose molecule is oxidized to form 2 pyruvates and which of the following?

2 ADP close

2 ATP close

2 NADH close

2 NAD⁺ close

Oxygen close

both 2 NADH and 2 ADP close

both 2 NADH and 2 ATP check

both 2 NAD⁺ and 2 ATP close

Check

Question 2

In a yeast cell under anaerobic conditions, the NADH (from glycolysis) donates electrons to __________, which produces _________ additional ATP?

ADP, two close

Oxygen, two close

Phosphorus, two close

ethanol, two close

none of these options check

pyruvate, two close

Check   Show Solution

In a yeast cell under anaerobic conditions, NADH donates electrons to pyruvate. Although this reaction does not produce any additional ATP, it regenerates the NAD⁺ needed for subsequent rounds of glycolysis.

Question 3

In a yeast cell under aerobic conditions, pyruvate is oxidized to Acetyl CoA which enters the _________. NADH donates electrons to __________. The total ATP/glucose produced from these processes and glycolysis is __________.

Calvin Cycle, a protein of the electron transport chain, ~18 close

Calvin Cycle, oxygen, ~18 close

Citric acid cycle, ATP synthase, ~32 close

Citric acid cycle, a protein of the electron transport chain, ~32 check

electron transport chain, oxygen, ~32 close

Check

Session Activities

Practice Problems

• Problems (PDF)
• Solutions (PDF)

Further Study

Useful Links

• Glycolysis
• Cellular Respiration
• How Glycolysis Works
• “Cell Respiration” – Cellular Respiration Song
• The ATP Cycle

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