Prokaryotes produce 38 ATP per glucose molecule and eukaryotes produce 36 ATP why?

I know that the two are lost, but I am not sure if it is in the processing of the sugars or the transport? Does anyone know where these two are lost or why?

the two molecule of ATP (2ATP) are used by enzyme to transport pyruvate to acetylCoA from the cytoplasm of the cell to the mitochondria

Is it because of cellular respiration?

Aerobic and anaerobic respiration?

The difference in ATP production between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is primarily due to the location of certain metabolic processes. In prokaryotes, which lack membrane-bound organelles, most of the metabolic reactions occur in the cytoplasm. On the other hand, eukaryotes have specialized organelles like mitochondria, where certain steps of cellular respiration occur.

To understand where and why the two ATP are lost in eukaryotes compared to prokaryotes, let's break down the process of ATP production:

1. Glycolysis: This is the initial step of cellular respiration, which occurs in the cytoplasm of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In glycolysis, a molecule of glucose (a six-carbon sugar) is converted into two molecules of pyruvate (a three-carbon compound). This process generates a small amount of ATP along with other energy-rich molecules.

2. Transition Reaction: In prokaryotes, the pyruvate molecules formed during glycolysis directly enter the next step, which is the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle). However, in eukaryotes, the pyruvate molecules need to be transported from the cytoplasm into the mitochondria for further processing. During this transportation process, two ATP molecules are consumed.

3. Citric Acid Cycle: The citric acid cycle occurs in the matrix of mitochondria in eukaryotes. This cycle further breaks down the pyruvate molecules into carbon dioxide, generating high-energy molecules like NADH and FADH2, which are then used in the next step.

4. Electron Transport Chain (ETC): Eukaryotes possess an inner mitochondrial membrane where the electron transport chain is located. The NADH and FADH2 generated in the previous steps donate electrons to the ETC, which creates a proton gradient. This gradient drives the synthesis of ATP through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. However, due to the two ATP molecules consumed during the transportation of pyruvate, the net gain of ATP in eukaryotes is lower than that in prokaryotes.

To summarize, the two ATP molecules are lost during the transportation of pyruvate from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria in eukaryotes. This difference in ATP production can be attributed to the additional energy requirement for transporting molecules within the eukaryotic cell, which prokaryotes do not undergo.