Final answer:
Starting with 5 molecules of glucose, the process of glycolysis, conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, and the Citric Acid Cycle will produce a total of 30 molecules of CO2.
Step-by-step explanation:
Starting with 5 molecules of glucose, each molecule will undergo glycolysis, which produces two molecules of pyruvate. This means from glycolysis alone, we would have 10 pyruvates. Following glycolysis, each pyruvate is converted into acetyl-CoA via a process that releases one molecule of CO2. Hence, for 5 glucose molecules, this will release 10 CO2 molecules at this stage.
In the Citric Acid Cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle), each acetyl-CoA molecule will enter the cycle, which results in the release of two CO2 per cycle. Since each glucose molecule results in the generation of two acetyl-CoA molecules, and you have 5 glucose molecules, this means a total of 10 turns through the Krebs cycle. Thus, 20 CO2 molecules are released here.
Adding the CO2 from both the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA and the Citric Acid Cycle together, we have a total of 10 (from pyruvate) + 20 (from Krebs cycle) = 30 molecules of CO2.