Amoeba Sisters: Fermentation

Swimming

One of my favorite childhood activities.

Swim team

Team I joined at the age of four.

Gills

Organs that allow fish to extract oxygen from water.

Oxygen

Essential for many organisms, including fish, plants, and humans.

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants make oxygen.

Cellular respiration

Process that requires oxygen to break down glucose and produce ATP.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that powers cellular processes.

ADP

Adenosine diphosphate, a molecule with two phosphates.

Aerobic cellular respiration

Complex formula that requires oxygen.

Anaerobic respiration

Respiration without oxygen, using alternative electron acceptors.

Fermentation

Process that allows glycolysis to continue without oxygen.

Glycolysis

Process that converts glucose into pyruvate, producing ATP and NADH.

NADH

Coenzyme and electron carrier produced in glycolysis.

NAD+

Oxidized form of NADH, needed for glycolysis to continue.

Alcoholic fermentation

Fermentation process that produces ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Lactic acid fermentation

Fermentation process that produces lactate.

Muscle cells

Cells that can perform lactic acid fermentation.

Oxygen debt

Occurs when muscle cells shift to lactic acid fermentation due to insufficient oxygen.

Acetaldehyde

Derivative of pyruvate that acts as an electron acceptor in alcoholic fermentation.

Lactate

Product of lactic acid fermentation.

ATP production

Aerobic cellular respiration produces more ATP than fermentation.