ATPs from FADH2 and NADH

[StarryNights]

Kaplan book says 2 ATPs from FADH2 and 3 ATPs from NADH when they undergo oxidative phosphorylation...I'm missing problems in TPR Science workbook because they go by 1.5 ATPs/FADH2 and 2.5 ATPs/NADH. Personally, I learned 1.5 and 2.5 during Biochemistry. What should I go by? It doesn't really matter much for practice, but on the real MCAT will they give me the ATP values they want us to use? It'd be frustrating missing actual problems on the MCAT cause of this. Thanks!

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[RogueUnicorn]

i doubt that this would be an issue... honestly i don't know which would be the better one to know..

 

[boaz]

On the MCAT you won't get a question like that with two choices with such a small difference. They are testing your critical reasoning ability, not ability to regurgitate exact numbers according to Kaplan or UG biochem. Just remember the values you learned in biochem and you'll be fine.

 

[PiBond]

Kaplan book says 2 ATPs from FADH2 and 3 ATPs from NADH when they undergo oxidative phosphorylation...I'm missing problems in TPR Science workbook because they go by 1.5 ATPs/FADH2 and 2.5 ATPs/NADH. Personally, I learned 1.5 and 2.5 during Biochemistry. What should I go by? It doesn't really matter much for practice, but on the real MCAT will they give me the ATP values they want us to use? It'd be frustrating missing actual problems on the MCAT cause of this. Thanks!

I don't think the MCAT would split hairs because the numbers vary among sources and have changed over the past 10 years. Personally, I use 1.5 per FADH2 and 2.5 per NADH

Just keep in mind that the FADH2 yields less ATP than NADH because of where its electrons are introduced in the electron transport chain. Also know that cystolic NADH yields less ATP than mito NADH because of the need to transport it into the mito (which costs energy)--this is why prokaryotes yield more ATP per glucose than eukaryotes.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

^^^^ depends on cell type. the glycerol-3-phos shuttle will give you the 2.5 ATP

edit: i'm a dumb@ss. not g3p, but the malate-aspartate shuttle.