What is the name of the breakdown of glucose that occurs in the absence of oxygen?

The breakdown of glucose that occurs in the absence of oxygen is known as anaerobic glycolysis. This process allows cells to generate energy when oxygen is not available. During anaerobic glycolysis, glucose is converted into pyruvate through a series of enzymatic reactions, and since oxygen is not present, pyruvate is then further processed into lactate (in animals) or ethanol and carbon dioxide (in yeast).

This pathway is crucial in situations where oxygen supply is limited, such as in certain muscle cells during intense exercise. Anaerobic glycolysis provides a rapid means of energy production, albeit less efficient than aerobic pathways, producing only a small amount of ATP relative to the complete oxidation of glucose in the presence of oxygen.

The other concepts mentioned, such as aerobic glycolysis and aerobic respiration, involve oxygen and distinctly different pathways of energy production, while cytoplasmic oxidation is not typically used in this context to describe glucose breakdown. Thus, anaerobic glycolysis is the accurate term for glucose metabolism without oxygen.