You feed e. coli 5 glucose molecules. how many atp are created by using just glycolysis?

General
1

you feed e. coli 5 glucose molecules. how many atp are created by using just glycolysis?

2

To determine the number of ATP molecules produced by glycolysis when feeding E. coli 5 glucose molecules, we need to understand the process of glycolysis and the ATP yield from each step.

Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate. It occurs in the cytoplasm of cells and is the initial step in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. In glycolysis, a series of enzymatic reactions break down glucose into two molecules of pyruvate.

During glycolysis, ATP molecules are both consumed and produced. In the energy investment phase, two ATP molecules are used to activate glucose, resulting in the formation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Then, this molecule is broken down into two three-carbon compounds called glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP).

Now, let’s calculate the ATP yield during glycolysis:

  1. Energy Investment Phase:

    • 2 ATP molecules are consumed.

  2. Energy Generation Phase:

    • For each molecule of G3P produced, 2 ATP molecules are generated. Since we have two molecules of G3P formed per glucose molecule, a total of 4 ATP molecules are produced.

So, the net ATP yield from glycolysis is obtained by subtracting the ATP used in the energy investment phase from the ATP produced in the energy generation phase:

Net ATP yield = ATP produced in energy generation phase - ATP used in energy investment phase
= 4 ATP - 2 ATP
= 2 ATP

Therefore, when feeding E. coli 5 glucose molecules and considering only glycolysis, a total of 10 ATP molecules would be created.

1 Like