Which of the following molecules will produce the most ATP per mole?
c. two acetyl CoA or one palmitic acid (C₁₆)

Question

Which of the following molecules will produce the most ATP per mole?

c. two acetyl CoA or one palmitic acid (C₁₆)

Accepted Answer

All right. Hello everyone. So this question is asking us to determine which molecule will yield more ATP in one turn of the citric acid cycle. And here were comparing Tokuno Koe or salo acetate. So to understand the answer to this question, we're going to have to understand the A TP and reduce cofactor production from each molecule as they progress through the citric acid cycle. So let's start with six koe. Now, succinyl choa is converted into succinate in the citric acid cycle. So during that process, when succinate is converted into succinate, that's going to yield one molecule of GTP, which is equivalent to A P. So we will count that in our calculations. Now, as we consider the rest of the citric acid cycle specifically from six in a way, all the way up to the formation of oxy acetate. Here we produce one molecule of N DH and one molecule of FA DH two, these are the reduced cofactors. And so based on this information, we can calculate the total number of A TP produced from six and OK, eight. Now recall that one molecule of N DH produces approximately 2.5 molecules of ATP, whereas one molecule of FA DH two produces approximately 1.5 molecules of A TP. So adding everything together, adding up all of the A TP produced from Sue is one GTP 2.5 A P from an AD and 1.5 at P from FA H too. This is going to yield five at P from six in OK, eight. So now to compare, let's do the same thing with oxy acetate. So now for oxy acetate, it's important to recognize that it's not going to directly produce a TP, but it does initiate the cycle. Rather, it's involved in the first step of the citric acid cycle because it combines with acetyl coa to produce citric. And so here as a result of the complete oxidation of one acetyl coa that's going to yield three molecules of nah one molecule of FH two and one molecule of GTP, which if you recall is equivalent to ATP. Now using the conversion factors that we talked about previously when calculating six in OK. A each molecule of NAH produces 2.5 molecules of ATP. So three multiplied by 2.5 is going to equal 7.5 one fa DH two yield 1.5 A TP. So that's just 1.5. And then our GTP is going to count as one equivalent of A TP. So the sum of 7.51 0.5 and one ultimately equals 10 at P So for one turn of the citric acid cycle, succinyl coa yields five A TP. Whereas oxalic acetate yields 10 A TP. Therefore, oxy acetate is our correct answer because it does yield more ATP and there you have it. So with that being said, thank you so very much for watching and I hope you found this helpful.

Which of the following molecules will produce the most ATP per mole?
c. two acetyl CoA or one palmitic acid (C₁₆)

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Which of the following molecules will produce the most ATP per mole?c. two acetyl CoA or one palmitic acid (C16)

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

Key Concepts

ATP Production

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Comparison of Molecules

Which of the following molecules will produce the most ATP per mole?
c. two acetyl CoA or one palmitic acid (C₁₆)