Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cellular waste product
Introduction
Cellular waste products are formed as a byproduct of cellular respiration, a series of processes and reactions that generate energy for the cell, in the form of ATP. Two examples of cellular respiration creating cellular waste products are aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration.[1]
Aerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration
When in the presence of oxygen, cells use aerobic respiration to obtain energy from glucose molecules.[2][3]
Simplified Theoretical Reaction: C6H12O6 (aq) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) ΔHc -2880KJ
In aerobic respiration, the cellular waste products are:
Anaerobic respiration
Anaerobic respiration
When oxygen is not available, a cell must undergo anaerobic respiration to generate energy. Fermentation is an example of anaerobic respiration.
Simplified Theoretical Reaction: C6H12O6 <math>\to</math> 2C3H6O3 + 2 ATP (120 kJ)
In anaerobic respiration, the cellular waste product is: