What determines if a cell doing anaerobic respiration will produce lactic acid or ethanol?
What determines if a cell doing anaerobic respiration will produce lactic acid or ethanol?
Answer
The type of fermentation that occurs depends on the organism and the availability of substrates. In animals and some microorganisms, anaerobic respiration typically produces lactic acid. In yeast and some bacteria, it produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. The pathway is influenced by the type of cell and the conditions under which it operates.