Why Do Cancer Cells Choose Inefficient Energy Production?
Why do cancer cells choose inefficient energy production over normal respiration?
Cancer cells deliberately use an inefficient form of glucose metabolism called aerobic glycolysis, even when oxygen is abundant - a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists for nearly a century. This metabolic rewiring, known as the Warburg effect, allows tumors to produce lactate from glucose 10-100 times faster than normal cellular respiration, despite generating far less energy per glucose molecule.