At the end of aerobic respiration, in which molecule is most of the energy from glucose stored?

• A. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)
• B. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
• C. Pyruvate
• D. Carbon dioxide (CO\(_2\))

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the process of aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration is a metabolic pathway where glucose is broken down in the presence of oxygen to produce energy. It consists of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation.
2. Step 2: Recall the role of glucose in aerobic respiration. Glucose is the primary energy source, and its chemical bonds store energy. During aerobic respiration, glucose is oxidized to produce energy in the form of ATP.
3. Step 3: Identify the key molecules involved in energy transfer during aerobic respiration. NADH and FADH\(_2\) are electron carriers that transport high-energy electrons to the electron transport chain, where ATP is synthesized. Pyruvate is an intermediate product of glycolysis, and carbon dioxide (CO\(_2\)) is a waste product released during the citric acid cycle.
4. Step 4: Focus on the final step of aerobic respiration, oxidative phosphorylation. In this step, the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis generate ATP by using the energy from electrons carried by NADH and FADH\(_2\). ATP is the primary molecule where most of the energy from glucose is stored at the end of aerobic respiration.
5. Step 5: Conclude that while NADH, pyruvate, and CO\(_2\) play important roles in aerobic respiration, the majority of the energy from glucose is ultimately stored in ATP, which is the main energy currency of the cell.