One molecule of glucose can release a total of _____
molecules of ATP during its breakdown. (1 point)
36
34
38
32
36
One molecule of glucose can release a total of 36 molecules of ATP during its breakdown.
To determine the number of molecules of ATP released during the breakdown of one molecule of glucose, we need to understand the process of cellular respiration.
Cellular respiration occurs in three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle (also called the citric acid cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (also known as the electron transport chain). Glycolysis takes place outside the mitochondria, while the remaining stages occur within the mitochondria.
During glucose breakdown, the following ATP molecules are produced:
1. Glycolysis: In this stage, two ATP molecules are produced.
2. Krebs cycle: Each round of the Krebs cycle produces one ATP molecule.
3. Oxidative phosphorylation: This stage yields the majority of ATP. For every NADH molecule produced during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, three ATP molecules are generated. Similarly, for every FADH2 molecule, two ATP molecules are produced.
Now, let's calculate the total ATP molecules produced:
1. Glycolysis produces 2 ATP.
2. The Krebs cycle produces 2 ATP (two rounds, each producing 1 ATP molecule).
3. Oxidative phosphorylation generates ATP based on NADH and FADH2 production. Let's assume that during glucose breakdown, a total of 10 NADH and 2 FADH2 molecules are produced. Therefore, 10 NADH × 3 ATP = 30 ATP, and 2 FADH2 × 2 ATP = 4 ATP.
Adding up the ATP generated from each stage, we find that 2 + 2 + 30 + 4 = 38 ATP molecules are produced from the breakdown of one molecule of glucose.
Therefore, the correct answer is 38.