aerobic respiration

*respiration involving the absorption of free oxygen and the complete oxidation of the organic starting materials. The oxygen is used as the terminal electron acceptor and the ultimate products are water and carbon dioxide. Approximately 700 kcals are released when a molecule of glucose is completely oxidized in aerobic respiration. This compares to only about 72 kcals obtained when a glucose molecule is broken down by *anaerobic respiration to alcohol and carbon dioxide.