Answer:
The correct answer would be 36-38 ATP.
Cellular respiration refers to the set of biochemical reactions taking place in a cell in order to convert the chemical energy of food (glucose) into ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
It includes glycolysis, pyruvate decarboxylation, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain, and oxidative phosphorylation.
- Glycolysis converts one glucose molecule into two pyruvate molecules with a net gain of 2 ATP and 2 NADH.
- Then two molecules of pyruvate are converted to two molecules of acetyl CoA and two molecules of carbon dioxide with a net gain of 2 NADH.
- Both the acetyl CoA undergo Krebs cycle to yield 6 NADH and 2 FADH₂. Four molecules of carbon dioxide are released as the waste product.
- Total of 10 NADH and 2 FADH₂ under electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation to yield 32-34 ATP.
Thus, the total ATP produced by cellular respiration would be 36-38 ATP.
