Bioenergetics in Cellular Respiration

Hard Biochemistry Bioenergetics

In cellular respiration, the transformation of glucose into ATP involves a series of biochemical reactions that occur in different stages. These stages include glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. During glycolysis, glucose is broken down into pyruvate, producing a small yield of ATP and NADH. The citric acid cycle further processes pyruvate to produce additional NADH and FADH₂, which are crucial for the next stage. In oxidative phosphorylation, the electrons from NADH and FADH₂ are transferred through the electron transport chain (ETC), leading to the production of a large amount of ATP via chemiosmosis. A key component of the ETC is the proton gradient established across the mitochondrial membrane. Consider the energy transfer processes occurring in these stages.

Which of the following statements accurately describes a critical aspect of bioenergetics related to cellular respiration?

The efficiency of ATP production decreases under anaerobic conditions due to the lack of a proton gradient.

NADH produced during glycolysis contributes to ATP synthesis only through substrate-level phosphorylation.

FADH<sub>2</sub> enters the electron transport chain at a higher energy level than NADH.

The proton gradient in oxidative phosphorylation ultimately powers ATP synthase.

Hint

Submitted11.7K

Correct5.2K

% Correct45%