Final answer:
When fully oxidized in aerobic cellular respiration, a single molecule of glucose will generate typically 36 molecules of ATP, through processes including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When glucose is completely oxidized by all the pathways of aerobic cellular respiration, typically 36 ATP will be generated.
This process includes multiple stages: glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
During these stages, glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, which the cell can use for energy.
While glycolysis and the citric acid cycle generate some ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation, the majority of ATP in aerobic respiration is actually produced via oxidative phosphorylation.
The electron transport chain and chemiosmosis in the mitochondria are crucial for this high ATP yield.
Although the theoretical maximum is 38 ATP molecules per glucose molecule due to variations in the efficiency of the electron transport system and cellular conditions, generally it is accepted that 36 ATP molecules are produced in eukaryotic cells.