Age-old mystery of why cells use fermentation unraveled

Wine, beer and yogurt are produced when microorganisms convert sugar into alcohol, gases or acids. But this process of fermentation -- which is used by bacteria, fungi and other fast-growing cells to generate energy in the absence of oxygen -- is a much less efficient way of generating energy for cells than aerobic respiration. So why do many organisms use this seemingly wasteful strategy to generate energy instead of aerobic respiration, even when oxygen is readily available?

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