Final answer:
Approximately 100 glucose molecules are required to synthesize a 750-amino acid protein in a liver cell, as it takes 4 ATPs to synthesize one amino acid and one glucose molecule yields about 30 molecules of ATP.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked how many glucose molecules would be required to synthesize a 750-amino acid protein in a human liver cell. The key to answering this question is understanding the process by which proteins are synthesized and the energy requirements for that process. It takes four molecules of ATP to synthesize one amino acid: two ATPs for amino acid activation and two ATPs for peptide bond formation between amino acids. The complete synthesis of a protein, therefore, requires energy equivalent to four times the number of amino acids in the protein.
Since one molecule of glucose yields approximately 30 molecules of ATP through cellular respiration, we can calculate the number of glucose molecules needed to synthesize a 750-amino acid protein. First, we multiply 750 amino acids by 4 ATP per amino acid, totalling 3000 ATPs required. Then, dividing this total by 30 ATP per glucose molecule, we find that roughly 100 glucose molecules are needed (3000 ÷ 30 = 100).
Therefore, the correct answer is A. Approximately 100 glucose molecules would be required to synthesize a 750-amino acid protein in a liver cell.