Multiple Choice
In aerobic cellular respiration, which process generates the greatest amount of ATP per molecule of glucose in eukaryotic cells?
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Review 4: Amino Acid Oxidation, Oxidative Phosphorylation, & Photophosphorylation
Oxidative Phosphorylation 1
Multiple Choice
Which stage of aerobic glucose metabolism produces the greatest amount of ATP per molecule of glucose?
A
Citric acid cycle (TCA cycle)
B
Oxidative phosphorylation (electron transport chain and ATP synthase)
C
Glycolysis
D
Pyruvate oxidation (conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA)
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the stages of aerobic glucose metabolism, which include glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle (TCA cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (electron transport chain and ATP synthase).
Step 2: Recall the ATP yield from each stage per molecule of glucose: glycolysis produces a small net amount of ATP directly, pyruvate oxidation does not produce ATP directly but generates electron carriers, the citric acid cycle produces some ATP and electron carriers, and oxidative phosphorylation uses these electron carriers to generate the majority of ATP.
Step 3: Recognize that oxidative phosphorylation harnesses the energy from NADH and FADH2 (produced in previous stages) to drive ATP synthesis via the electron transport chain and ATP synthase.
Step 4: Compare the ATP yields quantitatively: glycolysis yields 2 ATP, the citric acid cycle yields 2 ATP (or GTP), and oxidative phosphorylation yields approximately 26-28 ATP per glucose molecule, making it the stage with the greatest ATP production.
Step 5: Conclude that oxidative phosphorylation is the stage of aerobic glucose metabolism that produces the greatest amount of ATP per molecule of glucose.
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