AIIMS 2019 Biology Blood and its Components MCQ Question

Mature red blood cells (RBCs) lack mitochondria, which means they cannot perform aerobic respiration processes such as the TCA cycle (option A), electron transport system (ETS, option B), or the link reaction (option C). Instead, they rely on anaerobic glycolysis (option D) to generate ATP, converting glucose into pyruvate and producing a net gain of 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, along with 2 molecules of NADH. This process allows RBCs to efficiently meet their energy needs without the presence of oxygen or mitochondria.