Imagine there are two different cells, cell A and cell B. Explain why lactic acid, carbon dioxide and only 2 ATP are produced in cell A and carbon dioxide, water and up to 32 ATP are produced in cell B.

Question

Responses
A cell A is in an animal cell in an anaerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an aerobic environmentcell A is in an animal cell in an anaerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an aerobic environment
B cell A is an animal cell in an aerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an anaerobic environmentcell A is an animal cell in an aerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an anaerobic environment
C cell A is a yeast cell in an anaerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an aerobic environmentcell A is a yeast cell in an anaerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an aerobic environment
D cell A is an animal cell in an aerobic environment and cell B is a yeast cell in an aerobic environment

Answer 1

The correct response to explain why lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and only 2 ATP are produced in cell A, while carbon dioxide, water, and up to 32 ATP are produced in cell B, is:

A: cell A is in an animal cell in an anaerobic environment and cell B is an animal cell in an aerobic environment.

Explanation:

• Cell A: In anaerobic conditions (absence of oxygen), animal cells undergo anaerobic respiration (specifically lactic acid fermentation). This process converts glucose into lactic acid and produces only 2 ATP molecules. No carbon dioxide is produced in this specific type of fermentation in animal cells, but it can be produced in other forms of fermentation (like in yeast).

• Cell B: In aerobic conditions (presence of oxygen), animal cells undergo aerobic respiration. This process involves glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation (electron transport chain), leading to a complete breakdown of glucose. This pathway generates carbon dioxide and water as byproducts and significantly more ATP (up to 32 molecules) compared to anaerobic pathways.

So, the main difference arises from the presence or absence of oxygen, which heavily influences the pathways used for cellular respiration.