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In a liver cell, if a single molecule of glucose undergoes glycolysis, and the citrate cycle completes along with the electron transport chain, how many net ATP molecules are produced based on the chemical potential energy contained in the glucose substrate

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Answer:

The correct answer is 32.

Step-by-step explanation:

Glycolysis, citric acid cycle, and oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate are the processes that take part in the complete oxidation of 1 molecule of glucose to carbon dioxide and the oxidation of all the reduced coenzymes. In the process of glycolysis, a total of 2 NADH and 2 ATP are produced. Each of the NADH further produces 2.5 molecules of ATP. Therefore, 2 NADH will produce, 2 * 2.5 = 5 molecules of ATP. Thus, the total ATP produced during glycolysis is 2+5 = 7.

In the citric acid cycle, 2 ATP, 2 NADH, and 2 FADH2 molecules are produced. Further, each NADH produces 2.5 ATP and each FADH2 produces 1.5 molecules of ATP, Thus, the total ATP produced would be,

6*2.5 + 2 + 2*1.5 = 20

In the process of oxidative decarboxylation, two molecules of NADH are produced, thus, total ATP produced would be,

2*2.5 = 5

Therefore, in the complete transformation of 1 glucose molecule to carbon dioxide and the oxidation of all the reduced coenzymes, the number of ATP produced will be,

= 7+20+5 = 32

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