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What waste chemical is produced in anaerobic respiration in animals?

Question

What waste chemical is produced in anaerobic respiration in animals?

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Solution 1

The waste chemical produced in anaerobic respiration in animals is lactic acid. Here are the steps of how it is produced:

  1. Glycolysis: This is the first step of anaerobic respiration, and it occurs in the cytoplasm. One glucose molecule (6 carbons) is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate (3 carbons each). This process produces a small amount of ATP (energy) and NADH (an electron carrier).

  2. If oxygen is not present, the pyruvate cannot enter the mitochondria for the next steps of aerobic respiration. Instead, it stays in the cytoplasm.

  3. Lactic Acid Fermentation: The pyruvate is converted into lactic acid. This process also converts the NADH produced in glycolysis back into NAD+, which allows glycolysis to continue producing small amounts of ATP.

  4. The lactic acid can build up in the muscles, causing muscle fatigue. However, it can be converted back into glucose in the liver when oxygen levels are restored.

So, the waste chemical produced in anaerobic respiration in animals is lactic acid.

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Solution 2

The waste chemical produced in anaerobic respiration in animals is lactic acid. Here are the steps of how it is produced:

  1. Glycolysis: This is the first step of anaerobic respiration, and it occurs in the cytoplasm. One glucose molecule (6 carbons) is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate (3 carbons each). This process produces a small amount of ATP (energy) and NADH (an electron carrier).

  2. If there is no oxygen available for aerobic respiration, the cells in animals will undergo lactic acid fermentation. This happens in the cytoplasm.

  3. Lactic Acid Fermentation: The pyruvate from glycolysis is converted into lactic acid. The NADH from glycolysis donates its electrons to the pyruvate during this process, converting it into lactic acid and regenerating NAD+.

  4. The NAD+ is recycled back to glycolysis to accept more electrons. The lactic acid is transported out of the cell and into the bloodstream, where it is carried to the liver to be converted back into glucose.

So, the waste chemical produced in anaerobic respiration in animals is lactic acid.

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