The Role of Oxygen in

Respiration
General Biology 1
▪ Plants tend to make their own food through the process of
photosynthesis. They utilize carbon dioxide to produce oxygen
which is beneficial to mankind. We need oxygen to live. It is an
essential component for the production of usable energy.

What do you think will happen to a man who’s deprived of oxygen for
more than a few minutes?

▪ Yes, they will quickly become unconscious and die. Respiration is

essential for human life, because the human body cannot store oxygen
for later use as it does food. A constant supply of oxygen gas is merely
important to life.
▪ To begin and appreciate the role of oxygen inside your body, think
about that when you run, jog and jump, your breathing rate
increases. Respiration rate correlates with energy use, and that
correlation shows the link between oxygen and energy metabolism.
The chemical process inside your cells that consume oxygen to
produce usable energy is known as cellular respiration.

▪ Aerobic respiration uses oxygen to drive its reaction. But what is in

oxygen that makes it generate a lot of ATP? It is because oxygen is
the most efficient electron acceptor due to high electronegativity,
where it can pull electrons towards it. When glucose combined
with oxygen, the high energy electrons will be transferred to oxygen,
so it will gain potential energy which can be used to make ATP.
▪ Without oxygen, this reaction will not happen. Our body cells can’t
produce enough ATP. Although cells can extend their lives or
performance in the absence of oxygen through anaerobic
respiration, prolongation of the absence of oxygen will result to cell
malfunction, and will suddenly causing death.
Pathways of Electron Flow in the Absence of Oxygen (Anaerobic
respiration)
▪ When oxygen isn’t around to act as an acceptor at the end of
electron transport chain, there is an alternative glucose breakdown
pathways that occur. These fermentation pathways consist of
glycolysis with some extra reactions at the end of the process. In
your muscles, the extra reaction make lactic acid, and alcohol
among the yeast. Fermentation is a common pathway, but it is not
the only way to get energy from fuels anaerobically (in the absence
of oxygen). Other organisms such as bacteria and archaea uses
sulfate as a final electron acceptor for an electron transport chain,
and that process is called anaerobic respiration.
▪ To break down fuels, some prokaryotes such as bacteria and
archaea living in low-oxygen environments rely on anaerobic
respiration. For example, some archaea called methanogens can
use carbon dioxide as a terminal electron acceptor, which
produces methane as a by-product. These can be found in soil and
in the digestive systems of ruminants, a group of animals including
cows and sheep. Sulfide is a byproduct when bacteria and archaea
use sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor.
Fermentation
▪ With one or two extra reactions tacked on at the end, fermentation
is another anaerobic pathway for breaking down glucose. The only
energy extraction pathway in fermentation is glycolysis.
▪ Fermentation and cellular respiration begin in the same way with
glycolysis which is the only energy extraction in fermentation.
However, the pyruvate made in glycolysis does not run the electron
transport chain through oxidation and the citric acid cycle, because
the electron transport chain isn't functional. The NADH made in
glycolysis can’t drop its electrons off there to turn back into NAD+.
▪ Regenerating the electron carrier NAD+ from the NADH produced in
glycolysis is the purpose of the extra reactions in fermentation. The
extra reactions accomplish by NADH drop its electrons off with an
organic molecule that allows glycolysis to keep running by ensuring
a stable supply of NAD+.
Lactic acid fermentation has a variety of useful applications, including:

Lactic acid plays a key role in the food industry, as it serves as an

acidifier and preservative agent.
In dairy products, lactic acid is used in the production of yogurt.
It also has a role in cosmetic products, such as moisturizers.

The Lactic Acid Fermentation process is seen in the human body in

building up muscles and is also involved in curd-making. In contrast,
Alcohol Fermentation is involved in yeast processes and producing
alcoholic drinks like beer, wine, etc.
Alcoholic fermentation and lactic acid fermentation are two
important types of anaerobic fermentation processes. While both
involve the conversion of sugars into simpler compounds, they
differ in their end products, organisms involved, metabolic
pathways, and industrial applications. Alcoholic fermentation
produces ethanol and carbon dioxide, primarily occurs in yeast, and
finds applications in the production of alcoholic beverages and
biofuels. On the other hand, lactic acid fermentation produces lactic
acid, occurs in bacteria and muscle cells, and is utilized in the dairy
industry and the production of fermented vegetables.
Understanding the attributes of these fermentation processes
allows us to appreciate their significance in various industries and
biological systems.