Q.State, in one sentence, why fermentation yields far less usable ATP per glucose molecule than aerobic respiration does.

[!TLDR]

Fermentation only partially oxidises pyruvic acid (to ethanol or lactic acid), so it captures only glycolysis's own net 2 ATP. …

Fermentation converts pyruvic acid only into ethanol or lactic acid, without fully oxidising it to carbon dioxide and water, so it captures only the modest net 2 ATP that glycolysis itself already generated, leaving most of the original glucose molecule's chemical energy locked up, unreleased, in the fermentation end-product. Aerobic respiration, by contrast, completely oxidises pyruvic acid through the link reaction, TCA cycle and electron transport system, releasing far more of that energy as ATP. …

Contrast complete oxidation (aerobic respiration) with incomplete oxidation (fermentation) to e …

Attributing the lower ATP yield to fermentation happening 'without enzymes' or similar vague reasoning, rather than the …