anaerobic
anaerobic Applying to metabolism in the cells of the body, or to micro-organisms, this means functioning without oxygen. Examples include anaerobic glycolysis: the pathway of hexose breakdown from glucose 6-phosphate to lactate in muscle, and the main component of the metabolism of red blood cells, which have no mitochondria. Anaerobic bacteria inhabit the lower part of the intestines. Applying to exercise: more intense than can be maintained in balance with oxygen intake, aerobic pathways being insufficient to supply energy at the required rate (though they always contribute as well) — as in a 200-metre sprint.
See exercise; lactate threshold; metabolism.
Neil C. Spurway
See exercise; lactate threshold; metabolism.
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NEARBY TERMS
anaerobic
