Aerobic Respiration - Defination, Diagrams,Differences

Aerobic respiration is the type of cellular respiration that occurs in the presence of oxygen for the production of energy. It is frequent in plants, animals, humans, and other mammals. The end products of this process are water and carbon dioxide. Similarly, plants and animals undergo their respiration process for the accomplishment of their metabolic activities. Aerobic Respiration is one of the most important topics in biology. The topic carries a weightage of 10% of the total marks in NEET and 7% of the weightage of other entrance exams like Paramedical and Pharmacy.

Definition of Aerobic Respiration

Aerobic Respiration can be classified into aerobic and anaerobic forms. Aerobic respiration is also known as aerobic metabolism or oxidative metabolism. It is a chemical process where oxygen is utilised to form energy from carbohydrates. Some basic points about aerobic respiration are discussed below:

• Aerobic respiration is performed in the presence of oxygen where organisms use oxygen to convert fats and sugar to convert it into chemical energy.

• Aerobic respiration generally produces high amounts of energy which is typically between 36-38 ATP.

• The byproducts of aerobic respiration are carbon dioxide(CO2) and water (H20)

• There is long-term sustenance of energy which keeps us energy for long periods.

Also Read

• Respiration In Plants MCQs

• Plant Growth And Development

• Plant Growth Regulators

• Amphibolic Pathway

Chemical representation of aerobic respiration

Glucose (C6H12O6) + Oxygen 6(O2) → Carbon-dioxide 6(CO2) + Water 6 (H2O) + Energy (ATP)

• Energy is extracted by breaking down glucose molecules using oxygen during aerobic respiration.

• This results in the formation of energy, water and carbon dioxide as end products.

• The energy released is 2900kJ and further this is used to generate energy in the form of ATP.

• This oxygen is entered into the stomata of plant cells and reaches the epidermis cell present in the leaf and stem. This is done during the respiration process.

• During photosynthesis, the energy is released in the form of food.

Differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration

Differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration are given below:

Steps of Aerobic Respiration

Four steps are occurring in the respiration process:

The function of Aerobic Respiration

The functions of aerobic respiration can be discussed as follows:

• Energy production for all processes in cells.

• ATP production leads to other important functions like growth, repair, and maintenance.

• ATP provides energy for the sodium-potassium pump, which helps in movement, thinking, and coordinating with the outer world, for example.

• ATP also provides energy for proteins and enzymes to function.

Aerobic Respiration and Weight Loss

The aerobic respiration process is connected to weight loss due to the high metabolic rate that comes with it. Due to this, there are high calories burnt during workouts and energy is restored from the fats stored in the body. It produces carbon dioxide as a by-product, which our bodies use to get rid of the CO2 molecule. Some important mechanisms are discussed below in the points.

• The carbon atoms released as carbon dioxide come from the food we eat, which is sugar or fat.

• We tend to breathe heavily while exercising and engaging in calorie-burning activities. This is when the body burns out more oxygen and sugar at a faster rate than normal, and there is more production of ATP for energy generation. More carbon dioxide is being emitted.

• When the body uses ATP at a faster rate than normal, to compensate for the need for more oxygen molecules for the cells, the cells start performing anaerobic respiration to supply oxygen at a fast rate.

• As a result, this process burns more sugar and fat in the body, causing the body to lose weight.

Types of Questions Asked from Aerobic Respiration

During the preparation of the exam, there are different types of questions asked about Aerobic Respiration in different forms. The table given below contains the different patterns of questions asked in different exams.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Aerobic Respiration

It's hard to remember everything in a single go. We made the entire problem easy. Some of the tricks regarding Aerobic Respiration are given below which you can use to memorize the important points.

Steps of Aerobic Respiration

"GKEE: Glycolysis, Krebs, Electron Transport"

• G: Glycolysis

• K: Krebs Cycle

• E: Electron Transport Chain

ATP Yield

"2-2-34"

• 2: ATP produced in Glycolysis

• 2: ATP produced in the Krebs Cycle

• 34: ATP produced in the Electron Transport Chain

• Total: 36-38 ATP per glucose molecule

Key Coenzymes

"NADH-FADH₂"

• NADH: Carries electrons from Glycolysis and Krebs Cycle to the Electron Transport Chain

• FADH₂: Also carries electrons, but produces slightly less ATP compared to NADH

Importance of Oxygen

"O₂: Oxidation and ATP"

• O₂: Essential for the final electron acceptor in the Electron Transport Chain

• Oxidation: Facilitates the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation

Differences from Anaerobic Respiration

"O-D-Y"

• O: Oxygen required for aerobic respiration, absent in anaerobic

• D: Different end products (CO₂ and H₂O in aerobic, lactic acid or ethanol in anaerobic)

• Y: Yield of ATP is significantly higher in aerobic respiration (36-38 ATP) compared to anaerobic (2 ATP)

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