Final answer:
The full oxidation of a molecule of glucose in aerobic cellular respiration typically yields 36 to 38 ATP molecules. This includes a combination of substrate-level and oxidative phosphorylation, with the electron transport chain producing the majority of ATP.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approximate yield of ATP molecules from the full oxidation of a molecule of glucose in the process of cellular respiration can be up to 36 or 38 molecules. During aerobic cellular respiration, glycolysis and the Krebs cycle produce a small amount of ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation. However, the majority of ATP is generated in the electron transport chain through oxidative phosphorylation.
The equation for complete aerobic respiration of glucose, which includes both substrate-level phosphorylation and oxidative phosphorylation, suggests a theoretical maximum yield of 38 ATP molecules per glucose. Specifically, 4 ATP are generated through substrate-level phosphorylation (2 from glycolysis and 2 from the Krebs cycle), and up to 34 ATP molecules can be produced by oxidative phosphorylation in the electron transport chain, considering the energy contributed by NADH and FADH2. In reality, the number can be slightly lower due to energy costs, such as the transport of molecules into mitochondria in eukaryotic cells.