Question

b) Explain the advantages and disadvantages of glycolytic metabolism (anaerobic glycolysis).

Answer 1

Glycolysis is the term used to define the break of the glucose molecule in order to form energy is called glycolysis.

It is the first step of the respiration of cells both aerobic and anaerobic.

Anaerobic glycolysis is a term used for the formation of or conversion of glucose into lactate or lactic acid in the absence of the oxygen is called anaerobic glycolysis.

This is short term rapid process which occurs only for a few seconds to 2 minutes and very less ATP only 2 molecules of ATP are produced by this process.

This process is mostly seen during the exercise.

ADVANTAGES OF THE ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS:-

• One of the advantages of the anaerobic glycolysis is that it allows the organism to live in the area where there is no or less oxygen, say in the deep sea and damp soil, etc.
• The second most advantage of this is that this is the rapid process and produces ATP with more speed that in aerobic processes so it very useful in case of exercise.

These two are only advantages known for the anaerobic glycolysis.

DISADVANTAGE OF THE ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS:-

• The disadvantage is that this process produces only 2 ATP in one process which is very low and also produces a lactic acid that is absorbed by the muscles and liver.

It causes fatigue in the muscles.

And when a person use to do exercise very fast and demand for energy increases more then body use to switch for this anaerobic glycolysis and due to.this lot of lactic acid is produced.

The conversion of the lactic acid into the pyruvic acid body needs large amount of the oxygen which is consumed here instead of the process and this is called ' the repaying the debt.'

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