What happens to the
lactate produced in
anaerobic respiration
once oxygen becomes
available?
During aerobic conditions glucose produced as a result of digestion of food, undergoes glycolysis which results in the conversion of glucose to pyruvate. The pyruvate then enters the citric acid cycle followed by the oxidative phosphorylation generating energy molecules such as ATP and NADH. But when there is a demand for oxygen, like during intense physical activity, pyruvate is converted to lactate by lactic acid fermentation reaction to keep the glycolysis running, thereby producing ATP molecules.
Though both fermentation and cellular respiration begin with glycolysis, in fermentation the product of glycolysis is pyruvate. Pyruvate cannot undergo oxidation or citric acid cycle or the electron transport chain. Without the electron transport chain, the NADH cannot transfer its electron to become NAD+ again. Few extra reactions take place at the end of fermentation which produces an organic molecule that can accept the electron from NADH, forming NAD+ again. This enables glycolysis to run without any hindrance, thereby producing energy.
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