What are the similarities and differences between fermentation and cellular respiration besides the use of glycolysis?

Since this is not my area of expertise, I searched Google under the key words "fermentation 'cellular respiration' compare" to get these possible sources:

http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/Michael.Gregory/files/Bio%20101/Bio%20101%20Lectures/Cellular%20Respiration/cellular.htm
http://mansfield.osu.edu/~sabedon/biol1100.htm
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Courses/bio104/cellresp.htm
http://www.biology.lsu.edu/introbio/tutorial/Cellular%20respiration/Glyco,CellResp,Fermen.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration

In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search.

I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.

To understand the similarities and differences between fermentation and cellular respiration, let's start by explaining what each process is:

1. Fermentation: Fermentation is an anaerobic process (occurs without oxygen) that converts glucose into simpler compounds, typically by the action of microorganisms like yeasts or bacteria. It involves a partial breakdown of glucose, resulting in the production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and waste products such as ethanol (in alcohol fermentation) or lactic acid (in lactic acid fermentation).

2. Cellular Respiration: Cellular respiration is an aerobic process (requires oxygen) that occurs in the mitochondria of cells. It involves the complete breakdown of glucose to produce energy in the form of ATP. Cellular respiration consists of three main stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Now, let's discuss the similarities and differences between fermentation and cellular respiration:

Similarities:
1. Both fermentation and cellular respiration start with the initial breakdown of glucose through glycolysis, which produces a small amount of ATP.
2. Both processes occur in living cells to generate energy for cellular activities.
3. Both fermentation and cellular respiration involve the oxidation of glucose to release energy.

Differences:
1. Oxygen Requirement: Fermentation is an anaerobic process and does not require oxygen, while cellular respiration is an aerobic process and requires oxygen to proceed beyond glycolysis.
2. ATP Production: Fermentation produces a small amount of ATP (2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule), while cellular respiration produces a much larger amount of ATP (around 36-38 ATP molecules per glucose molecule).
3. Waste Products: Fermentation produces waste products such as ethanol or lactic acid, which can be toxic in larger quantities. In contrast, cellular respiration does not produce toxic waste products.
4. Efficiency: Cellular respiration is a more efficient process in terms of ATP production compared to fermentation.
5. End Products: Fermentation produces end products specific to the type of fermentation (e.g., ethanol, lactic acid), while the end products of cellular respiration are carbon dioxide and water.

To summarize, both fermentation and cellular respiration involve the breakdown of glucose, but fermentation is an anaerobic process that produces limited ATP and waste products, whereas cellular respiration is an aerobic process that produces more ATP and does not produce toxic waste products.