How many ATP can I make from 3 glucose molecules
To determine how many ATP molecules can be produced from 3 glucose molecules, we need to consider the process of cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the metabolic pathway by which glucose molecules are broken down to produce ATP.
Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
1. Glycolysis: Each glucose molecule undergoes glycolysis, which occurs in the cytoplasm and generates some ATP. In this step, 2 ATP molecules are used to start the process, but a net gain of 2 ATP molecules is produced. Thus, from 1 glucose molecule, we get 2 ATP.
2. The Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs Cycle): Next, the remaining breakdown products from glycolysis, called pyruvate, enter the mitochondria. In the citric acid cycle, each pyruvate molecule is further broken down, resulting in the production of a small amount of ATP, some NADH, and FADH2, which are electron carriers.
3. Electron Transport Chain (ETC): The electrons carried by NADH and FADH2 are transported through a series of protein complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane. This leads to the synthesis of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. The exact number of ATP molecules produced per NADH or FADH2 varies, but on average, it is estimated that each NADH can generate around 2.5 ATP, while each FADH2 generates around 1.5 ATP.
Since each glucose molecule results in the production of 2 ATP from glycolysis, and each pyruvate molecule from glycolysis generates more ATP through the citric acid cycle and ETC, we need to consider the total number of pyruvate molecules for 3 glucose molecules.
In glycolysis, each glucose molecule is converted into 2 pyruvate molecules. So, from 3 glucose molecules, we will have a total of 6 pyruvate molecules.
Considering the ATP production from the citric acid cycle and ETC, the average yield of ATP per pyruvate is around 15-20 ATP.
Therefore, if we assume a conservative estimate of 15 ATP per pyruvate molecule, the total ATP production from the 6 pyruvate molecules (derived from 3 glucose molecules) would be:
6 pyruvate molecules × 15 ATP per pyruvate = 90 ATP
Thus, from 3 glucose molecules, it is estimated that around 90 ATP molecules can be produced through cellular respiration.