tanya is on the high school track team and runs the 100-meter sprint. marissa is on the cross-country team and runs 5-kilometer races. explain which type of respiration the muscle cells in each runner’s legs use.
Which type of respiration do the muscle cells in Tanya and Marissa’s legs use?
Answer:
The muscle cells in Tanya’s legs, who is on the high school track team and runs the 100-meter sprint, primarily use anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration is the process by which the cells break down glucose to produce energy in the absence of oxygen. During intense physical activities like sprinting, the demand for energy is high, and anaerobic respiration is the most efficient way to produce energy quickly. Anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen, which allows the cells to generate energy rapidly without relying on the oxygen supply.
On the other hand, the muscle cells in Marissa’s legs, who is on the cross-country team and runs 5-kilometer races, primarily use aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration is the process by which the cells break down glucose using oxygen to produce energy. Unlike anaerobic respiration, aerobic respiration is a slower process but can produce a larger amount of energy over an extended period of time. During endurance-based activities like long-distance running, there is a relatively constant supply of oxygen, which allows for the sustained production of energy through aerobic respiration.
It’s important to note that while anaerobic respiration is the primary source of energy for short, high-intensity activities like sprinting, aerobic respiration is still occurring to some extent. The transition between these two energy production methods depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise performed.