In normal cells, glucose is broken down aerobically and fed into the citric acid cycle to produce, among other things, lots of ATP. Cancer cells, however do not. They instead break down glucose into lactic acid. This is very odd due to the fact that cancer cells are constantly growing and have typical glycolytic rates 200 times that of a normal cell. This even occurs under oxygen rich conditions. Required:
Write a response to the following prompt.
Why might cancer cells produce ATP this way? Please provide background and cite any sources you may have used?