Final answer:
The complete catabolism of a 24 carbon fatty acid produces a total of 152 ATP molecules. This number includes the ATP generated from ß-oxidation, citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, offset by the initial activation cost.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of ATP molecules produced during fatty acid activation and complete catabolism can be calculated based on the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid. Given a 24:0 fatty acid, the calculation would commence with the activation step consuming 2 ATP molecules and then proceed through the ß-oxidation cycles. In each cycle, one molecule of FADH₂ and NADH as well as an acetyl-CoA are generated, which are used to produce ATP during the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
Here, for a 24 carbon fatty acid, there are (0.5 × 24 - 1) cycles, which is 11 cycles. Each cycle generates 1 FADH₂, yielding 1.5 ATP, 1 NADH, yielding 2.5 ATP, and 1 acetyl-CoA, yielding 10 ATP, for a subtotal of 14 ATP per cycle. Including the two acetyl-CoA molecules from the last cycle, an additional 10 ATP is produced. Thus, the total ATP count is ((0.5 × 24 - 1) × 14) + 10 ATP from the last acetyl-CoA minus the 2 ATP used for activation.
The complete formula therefore yields (11 × 14) + 10 - 2 = 154 - 2 = 152 ATP molecules. Therefore, the correct answer is option c. 152.