Video Transcript
What waste product is formed during
anaerobic respiration in humans?
This question is asking us about a
process called anaerobic respiration, which can occur in human cells. You might recall that the prefix
an- means without, while the word part “aer” is the Greek word that means air. This is because anaerobic
respiration is the process by which energy can be released in cells without
oxygen. You might be more familiar with
aerobic respiration, which is the process by which energy is released in cells in
the presence of oxygen. Let’s take a look at the word
equations for both of these reactions to compare them and work out the correct
answer.
Aerobic respiration reacts glucose
with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water, which releases a large amount of
energy that is stored in the form of a molecule called ATP. As anaerobic respiration occurs in
the absence of oxygen, it produces a different product from aerobic respiration. In animal cells, this product is
called lactic acid, which is otherwise known as lactate. Anaerobic respiration also releases
energy. However, this is less energy than
is released through aerobic respiration. Excessive anaerobic respiration is
associated with muscle cramp or muscle fatigue. It is usually carried out by our
cells when they are not supplied with enough oxygen for aerobic respiration, such as
when we’re sprinting in a race. The lactic acid that is produced as
a waste product of anaerobic respiration in humans is usually broken down once more
oxygen is available. The process of lactic acid
breakdown requires oxygen and produces the same products as aerobic respiration,
carbon dioxide and water.
Now we know the waste product that
is formed in anaerobic respiration in humans, so we can answer our question
correctly. The waste product is lactic
acid.
