Question

Which will produce more ATP:

i). Three molecules of glucose that are metabolized by glycolysis to yield pyruvate orii). Three molecules of glucose that enter the Pentose Phosphate pathway and are

converted to two molecules of fructose-6-phosphate and one molecule of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, which can then enter glycolysis.

Explain your metabolic calculations/logic. NOTE: Do not consider ATP equivalents from NADH or NADPH in your answer.

Answer 1

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ANSWER:

EXPLANATION:

Glycolysis is a metabolic process where glucose is broken down to simple 3-carbon compound pyruvate and yeilds ATP as a by product along with NADH and water while in pentose pathway no ATP molecules are synthesised It invoolves the conversion of G-6-p into a pentose sugar R-5-P and NADH and carbon dioxide are given off as the by products.

The overall reactions of the two process can be represented as

Glucose + 2 ADP+2pi + 2 NAD 2 pyruvate +2 ATP+2NADH+2H+ +2H₂ O

thus it can be seen that for evry glucose molecule hat undergoes glycolysis 2 ATP are yielded therefore for

Three molecules of glucose the ATP yield would be 3x2 = 6 ATP molecules.

now coming to pentose phosphate pathway there is ATP yeild as in this reaction only NADH is formed .The reaction can be represented as

G-6-P+2NADp+ +2 H₂O  ribose 5 phosphate+2NADH+2H++2CO_{2 .}