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Multiple Choice
Which of the following lists the net products generated from the complete aerobic cellular respiration of one molecule of glucose?
A
6 O$_2$, 6 H$_2$O, and 36 ATP
B
2 CO$_2$, 2 H$_2$O, and 4 ATP
C
6 CO$_2$, 6 H$_2$O, and approximately 30-32 ATP
D
2 CO$_2$, 2 H$_2$O, and 2 ATP
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the process of aerobic cellular respiration. It consists of three main stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation. Each stage contributes to the production of ATP, carbon dioxide (CO$_2$), and water (H$_2$O).
Step 2: Recall that glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm and breaks down one molecule of glucose (C$_6$H$_{12}$O$_6$) into two molecules of pyruvate, producing 2 ATP and 2 NADH. No CO$_2$ is released during glycolysis.
Step 3: In the citric acid cycle, each pyruvate is converted into acetyl-CoA, which enters the cycle. For each glucose molecule, the cycle produces 6 CO$_2$, 2 ATP, and multiple electron carriers (NADH and FADH$_2$).
Step 4: During oxidative phosphorylation, the electron carriers (NADH and FADH$_2$) generated in previous steps donate electrons to the electron transport chain. This process uses oxygen (O$_2$) as the final electron acceptor and produces water (H$_2$O) and approximately 26-28 ATP.
Step 5: Combine the net products from all stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. The complete aerobic respiration of one glucose molecule generates 6 CO$_2$, 6 H$_2$O, and approximately 30-32 ATP.