Question

After glycolysis, what will happen next in the leaf cells of a tobacco plant in the absence of oxygen?

A) Lactic acid fermentation
B) Alcoholic fermentation
C) Both lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation
D) No further reactions occur

Answer 1

In the absence of oxygen, tobacco plant leaf cells will undergo alcoholic fermentation after glycolysis to continue ATP production.

Step-by-step explanation:

After glycolysis, if a tobacco plant's leaf cells are in the absence of oxygen, alcoholic fermentation will occur. During glycolysis, which occurs in the cytoplasm, a net of two ATP are produced, and NAD+ is reduced to NADH. To continue glycolysis and produce ATP under anaerobic conditions, cells need to regenerate NAD+. In plants and yeast, the pyruvate from glycolysis undergoes alcoholic fermentation, producing ethanol, carbon dioxide, and regenerating NAD+. This differs from lactic acid fermentation, which occurs in animal cells and produces lactate.