True. Respiration does produce significantly more ATP than fermentation.
Here’s why: During cellular respiration, especially in aerobic conditions, glucose is fully oxidized in a series of reactions involving glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. This process can yield up to approximately 36 to 38 ATP molecules per molecule of glucose, depending on the efficiency of the cell.
In contrast, fermentation occurs when oxygen is not available and involves the partial breakdown of glucose. The most common type, lactic acid fermentation or alcoholic fermentation, produces only 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule. This substantial difference in ATP yield highlights why organisms prefer respiration when oxygen is available, as it provides much more energy for their metabolic needs.