Which of the following best describes how anaerobic respiration differs from aerobic cellular respiration?

• A. Anaerobic respiration requires mitochondria, whereas aerobic respiration does not.
• B. Anaerobic respiration occurs only in plant cells, while aerobic respiration occurs only in animal cells.
• C. Anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen as the final electron acceptor, while aerobic respiration does.
• D. Anaerobic respiration produces more ATP per glucose molecule than aerobic respiration.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by understanding the key difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, while anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen and instead relies on other molecules (e.g., nitrate, sulfate, or organic molecules) as the final electron acceptor.
2. Step 2: Recall that aerobic respiration occurs in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and involves glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Anaerobic respiration, on the other hand, typically occurs in the cytoplasm and may involve processes like fermentation.
3. Step 3: Compare the ATP yield of both processes. Aerobic respiration produces significantly more ATP per glucose molecule (approximately 30-32 ATP) due to the complete oxidation of glucose, whereas anaerobic respiration produces much less ATP (around 2 ATP) because glucose is only partially oxidized.
4. Step 4: Clarify that anaerobic respiration is not limited to plant cells or animal cells—it can occur in various organisms, including bacteria, yeast, and muscle cells under low oxygen conditions.
5. Step 5: Eliminate incorrect statements from the options provided. For example, anaerobic respiration does not require mitochondria, and it does not produce more ATP than aerobic respiration. The correct answer is: 'Anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen as the final electron acceptor, while aerobic respiration does.'