Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Flashcards reviewing key concepts related to cellular respiration and fermentation processes.

Fermentation

A metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases, or alcohol in the absence of oxygen.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell, produced during cellular respiration.

NADH

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, an electron carrier that stores energy used in cellular respiration.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

A type of fermentation that occurs in human muscle cells where pyruvate is converted into lactate.

Alcoholic Fermentation

A process by which yeasts convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide when oxygen is absent.

Substrate-level phosphorylation

A method of producing ATP by directly transferring a phosphate group to ADP from a donor molecule.

Catabolic pathway

Metabolic pathways that break down molecules to produce energy.

Anabolic pathway

Metabolic pathways that build molecules from smaller units, typically requiring energy.

Acetyl CoA

A molecule that transports acyl groups to the citric acid cycle in cellular respiration.

Beta oxidation

The process by which fatty acids are broken down in the mitochondria to generate Acetyl CoA.

Intermediates of glycolysis

Substances formed during the glycolytic pathway that can be used as precursors for other biochemical reactions.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)

Highly reactive molecules containing oxygen that can cause cellular damage.

Anaerobic respiration

A type of respiration that occurs in the absence of oxygen, using other electron acceptors.

Glycolysis

The metabolic process that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing a small amount of ATP and NADH.