Which of the following statements about anaerobic respiration is true and why? a) Every pathway in anaerobic respiration must start with glycolysis b) Anaerobic respiration uses electron transport chain to generate a proton motive force
Which of the following statements about anaerobic respiration is true and why?
a) Every pathway in anaerobic respiration must start with glycolysis
b) Anaerobic respiration uses electron transport chain to generate a proton motive force
Answer
The correct answer is:
a) Every pathway in anaerobic respiration must start with glycolysis.
Explanation:
Glycolysis as the Starting Point: Anaerobic respiration begins with glycolysis, a process that occurs in the cytoplasm and breaks down glucose into pyruvate, generating 2 ATP molecules and NADH. This step is common to both aerobic and anaerobic respiration and is essential for energy production in the absence of oxygen.
Why Not Option b: The statement “Anaerobic respiration uses the electron transport chain to generate a proton motive force” is false because anaerobic respiration in many organisms, such as in fermentation processes, does not involve an electron transport chain. The electron transport chain is a characteristic feature of aerobic respiration, where it creates a proton gradient used to generate ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. In anaerobic respiration, ATP is generated through glycolysis and fermentation, without the involvement of an electron transport chain.
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