Biology › Section D · Energy: metabolism, respiration, photosynthesis › Topic D.7
Metabolism without oxygen
Take away the oxygen and the big ATP harvest shuts down - no final electron acceptor, no electron transport chain, no oxidative phosphorylation. What is a cell to do? Regenerate NAD+ by other means, keep glycolysis alive on its net two ATP, and accept the modest income. Fermentation is that backup plan, and it is why yogurt exists, why yeast makes ethanol, and why your muscles burn during a sprint.
In this topic
- When oxygen runs out: the NAD+ crisis
- Two ways to live without oxygen
- Anaerobic respiration in prokaryotes
- Lactic acid fermentation
- Alcohol fermentation
- Facultative and obligate anaerobes
- Fermentation at the table
- Worked example: tremetol and milk sickness
- Worked example: the sprint ledger
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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