Final answer:
Oxidative phosphorylation in aerobic respiration produces the largest amount of ATP, with a total potential yield of approximately 38 ATP per glucose molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of glucose breakdown that produces the largest amount of ATP is oxidative phosphorylation, which is part of aerobic respiration. When glucose is catabolized, glycolysis occurs first, resulting in a small net gain of ATP. However, much more ATP is generated during the next stages of glucose breakdown, specifically within the mitochondria during the oxidative phosphorylation process. Here, oxygen is required, and approximately 34 ATP are produced per glucose molecule by chemiosmosis. Adding the 4 ATP produced by substrate-level phosphorylation throughout glycolysis and other cycles, the total potential maximum yield reaches 38 ATP per glucose molecule in the presence of oxygen.