What is the difference between fermentation and cellular respiration?

Fermentation is an anaerobic process that produces energy without oxygen, while cellular respiration is an aerobic process that requires oxygen.

Fermentation is a metabolic process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic compounds such as glucose are broken down into simpler compounds such as lactic acid or ethanol, releasing energy in the process. This process is used by some organisms such as yeast and bacteria to produce energy when oxygen is not available. Fermentation is also used in the food industry to produce products such as bread, cheese, and yogurt.

Cellular respiration, on the other hand, is an aerobic process that requires oxygen to produce energy. It occurs in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and involves the breakdown of glucose and other organic compounds to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell. Cellular respiration can be divided into three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. This process is used by all living organisms to produce energy.

While both fermentation and cellular respiration produce energy, cellular respiration is a more efficient process that produces more ATP per molecule of glucose than fermentation. Additionally, fermentation produces waste products such as lactic acid or ethanol, while cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide and water as waste products.