Which term refers to metabolic processes not requiring oxygen?

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Anaerobic metabolism refers to energy-producing processes that don’t require oxygen. When oxygen isn’t available, cells rely on glycolysis in the cytoplasm to break down glucose into pyruvate, generating a small amount of ATP and regenerating NAD+. Without oxygen, the electron transport chain can’t run, so pyruvate is often converted to lactate to keep glycolysis going. The result is quick but inefficient energy production—about 2 ATP per glucose—with possible lactate buildup and acidosis if it continues. In contrast, ventilation is simply moving air in and out of the lungs, and aerobic metabolism uses oxygen in mitochondria to generate most of the cell’s ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. Respiration can refer to either gas exchange or cellular respiration depending on context, but the term for processes that do not require oxygen is anaerobic metabolism.