ATP Yield from Cellular Respiration

[DavetheMD]

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For the MCAT - Does anyone know what the tested yield is for ATP?

If you check academic sources, they all give the disclaimer that ATP yield can vary. However, EK has it pinned at 36 ATP. Just wanted to check if someone could verify if that is correct.

 

[ozzi22]

Usually 36-38 ATP. EK says it's about 36 ATP which means its not exactly 36.

 

[BB8730]

If you check academic sources, they all give the disclaimer that ATP yield can vary.

Bingo. This is why they can't straight up ask you "How much ATP does aerobic respiration produce?" If they do, the answer choices should be very different and only one will be close. Aerobic respiration produces about 36 net ATP, but some energy is lost transporting ATP/NADH/FADH2 across the mitochondrial membrane so it's really lower than that. Most textbooks pin the actual cytoplasmic ATP gain at around 31.

 

[DavetheMD]

Thanks guys. In Audio Osmosis they deliver the information with more finality. But I do see the about 36 in my text.

 

[sciencebooks]

Thanks guys. In Audio Osmosis they deliver the information with more finality. But I do see the about 36 in my text.

I was thinking the same thing with Audio Osmosis, especially since more recent sources have listed 31. The CDs are from 2002 so popular opinion changes and, yeah, lots of controversy on this simply number.

 

[Quizlet04]

Bringing this up again: TPRH from 2010 says 30 and 32 for prokaryotes, while EK and TBR both say 36 and 38. Oh goodie.