Why is anaerobic respiration considered less efficient than aerobic respiration?

Question

a
More oxygen is required for anaerobic respiration than for aerobic respiration.
b
Less energy is required during anaerobic respiration than aerobic respiration.
c
More ATP molecules are gained in aerobic respiration than in anaerobic respiration.
d
Less lactic acid is formed during anaerobic respiration than during aerobic respiration.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

c. More ATP molecules are gained in aerobic respiration than in anaerobic respiration.

Anaerobic respiration produces less ATP than aerobic respiration because it does not fully oxidize glucose. While aerobic respiration can yield up to around 36-38 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, anaerobic respiration typically only produces about 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule. This makes it less efficient in energy production compared to aerobic respiration.