Anew antibiotic is produced that inhibits the synthesis of acetyl-coa and the electron transport chain in bacteria that normally require oxygen. for each glucose molecule that is metabolized, how many fewer atp molecules will be produced?

A new antibiotic is produced that inhibits the synthesis of acetyl-CoA and the electron transport chain in bacteria that normally require oxygen. For each glucose molecule that is metabolized, how many fewer ATP molecules will be produced?

38

4

36

34

2

36

Explanation:

Glycolysis of cellular respiration produces only two molecules of ATP per glucose molecule. Kreb's cycle also forms 2 ATP molecules per glucose by substrate-level phosphorylation. However, oxidation of NADH and FADH2 by electron transport chain produces as many as 34 ATP molecules (almost 3 ATP per NADH and 2 ATP per FADH2). This obtains a total of 38 ATP molecules per glucose by the complete pathway of aerobic cellular respiration.

In presence of an antibiotic that inhibits Kreb's cycle and ETC of cellular respiration, a cell would produce only 2 ATP molecules (by glycolysis) per glucose. Therefore, it would obtain 38-2= 36 lesser ATP molecules.