Final answer:
In cellular respiration, one glucose molecule can produce up to 38 ATP molecules, but commonly around 36 ATP are produced due to energy costs, with 2 ATP from glycolysis, 2 from the Krebs cycle, and up to 34 from the electron transport chain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Energy Produced in Cellular Respiration
The process of aerobic cellular respiration converts glucose into ATP, which is the energy currency for cells. Across the three stages of this process, a varying amount of ATP is produced. In the first stage, glycolysis, which takes place in the cytoplasm, 2 ATP molecules are produced. The second stage is the Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, occurring in the mitochondria, which yields an additional 2 ATP. The final stage is the electron transport chain where the majority of ATP is generated, up to 34 ATP molecules, due to the energy from NADH and FADH2 that were produced in earlier stages. Altogether, the total ATP yield – combining the electron transport chain, glycolysis, and the Krebs cycle – can be as high as 38 ATP molecules from one glucose molecule, although the more commonly cited number is 36 due to the energy cost of transporting intermediates into the mitochondria. Therefore, from one molecule of glucose during all three stages of cellular respiration, a net total of about 36-38 molecules of ATP can be produced.