Final answer:
When yeast uses 5000 molecules of sugar (glucose), it produces approximately 180,000 ATP molecules through the process of aerobic respiration, where one molecule of glucose yields around 36 ATPs.
Step-by-step explanation:
If 5000 molecules of sugar (C6H12O6) are used by yeast, the number of ATP molecules produced can be calculated based on the complete aerobic catabolism of one glucose molecule. In aerobic conditions, one molecule of glucose yields approximately 36 ATP molecules. This process includes glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain.
From glycolysis, a net gain of 2 ATP is generated per glucose molecule. Furthermore, the transition from pyruvate to acetyl-CoA yields additional ATP, and the Krebs cycle contributes further to the ATP count. Each NADH and FADH2 produced in these processes enters the electron transport chain to produce even more ATP.
Given this information, if we have 5000 molecules of glucose, the total number of ATP molecules produced would be 5000 multiplied by 36. Therefore, the yeast would produce 180,000 ATP molecules from 5000 molecules of glucose during aerobic respiration.