Question

If 10 molecules travel through the electron transport chain, how many ATP are made?

a. 5
b. 20
c. 7
d. 30

Answer 1

If the 10 molecules referred to in the electron transport chain are NADH, they would generate 30 ATP molecules through oxidative phosphorylation.

Step-by-step explanation:

ATP Production from 10 Molecules in the Electron Transport Chain

During the electron transport chain, which is the third stage of cellular respiration, ATP is generated through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. The passage of electrons from NADH to the oxygen through a series of proteins in the mitochondrial membrane pumps hydrogen ions across the membrane. This creates a gradient that drives the synthesis of ATP via ATP synthase. Each NADH molecule provides enough energy to generate three ATP molecules, whereas each FADH₂ generates two ATP molecules.

If we assume that each of the 10 molecules is a molecule of NADH, then we can estimate that 10 NADH molecules would produce 30 ATP molecules. However, since the question does not specify the type of molecules (NADH or FADH₂), if we were to take only NADH into account, the correct answer would be 30 ATP molecules (Option d).