Multiple Choice
In aerobic cellular respiration, which process produces the greatest amount of ATP per glucose molecule in eukaryotic cells?
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Review 4: Amino Acid Oxidation, Oxidative Phosphorylation, & Photophosphorylation
Oxidative Phosphorylation 1
Multiple Choice
In cellular respiration, which pathway produces the greatest amount of ATP per molecule of glucose under typical conditions in eukaryotic cells?
A
Anaerobic fermentation (lactic acid fermentation) in the cytosol
B
Glycolysis alone (substrate-level phosphorylation only)
C
Aerobic respiration using the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation
D
The citric acid cycle alone (without the electron transport chain)
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the main pathways of glucose metabolism in eukaryotic cells: glycolysis, anaerobic fermentation, the citric acid cycle, and aerobic respiration including the electron transport chain (ETC) and oxidative phosphorylation.
Step 2: Recall that glycolysis alone produces a small net gain of ATP (2 ATP per glucose) through substrate-level phosphorylation and occurs in the cytosol without requiring oxygen.
Step 3: Recognize that anaerobic fermentation (such as lactic acid fermentation) regenerates NAD+ to allow glycolysis to continue but does not produce additional ATP beyond glycolysis itself.
Step 4: Note that the citric acid cycle generates electron carriers (NADH and FADH2) and a small amount of ATP directly, but most ATP is produced when these carriers donate electrons to the ETC during aerobic respiration.
Step 5: Understand that aerobic respiration, which includes the ETC and oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, produces the greatest amount of ATP per glucose molecule (approximately 30-32 ATP) by using the energy from electrons transferred through the ETC to drive ATP synthesis.
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