Final answer:
The total number of ATP produced per one molecule of glucose after all three stages of cellular respiration is up to 38 ATP molecules. This includes ATP from glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. Practical yields may slightly vary due to energy costs of substrate transport in eukaryotic cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked how much total ATP is produced per one molecule of glucose after all 3 stages of cellular respiration. The stages include glycolysis, the Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle), and the electron transport chain. Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle generate a small amount of ATP directly, while the majority of ATP is produced via the electron transport chain.
During glycolysis, 2 ATP molecules are produced, and the same amount is produced in the Krebs cycle. The electron transport chain is more productive, generating up to 34 ATP molecules from the NADH and FADH2 that were produced earlier in respiration. Thus, the total ATP production is often stated as 36 ATP molecules per glucose. However, under ideal conditions, this number can be as high as 38 ATP molecules when you combine the 4 ATP produced by substrate-level phosphorylation with the 34 ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation.
Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is 38 ATP molecules produced per one molecule of glucose after all three stages of cellular respiration, although in practice this number can be slightly less. This accounts for the ATP used during the transport of intermediates into mitochondria in eukaryotic cells.