Prokaryotes and ATP Use Question

[betterfuture]

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Okay. So the answer is C.

Apparently, prokaryotes have mitochondria, according to Kaplan's answer. But this is not true. Well, at least from whay I know about the definition of a prokaryote. Doesn't the answer seem to be worded weird? Prokaryote don't have mitochondria, so it wouldn't make sense that they would use less or more ATP to transfer anything at all; they don't have any to begin with! Or is the answer saying something else? I'd just like to clear this up. Thanks

 

[yeasureyoubetcha]

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Okay. So the answer is C.

Apparently, prokaryotes have mitochondria, according to Kaplan's answer. But this is not true. Well, at least from whay I know about the definition of a prokaryote. Doesn't the answer seem to be worded weird? Prokaryote don't have mitochondria, so it wouldn't make sense that they would use less or more ATP to transfer anything at all; they don't have any to begin with! Or is the answer saying something else? I'd just like to clear this up. Thanks

In prokaryotes, all reactions happen in the cytoplasm and on the intracellular face of the cell membrane. By definition, they have no membrane bound organelles. In Eukaryotes, NADH gets oxidized in the mitochondria and must be actively transported in. Glycolysis produces 2 NADH/cycle...- 2 ATP $ monies = 30 net ATP for Eukaryotes

Kaplan made an error

 

[betterfuture]

So basically, the answer if really off because it is factually incorrect.

 

[yeasureyoubetcha]

So basically, the answer if really off because it is factually incorrect.

Eh...technically its still correct because you don't have to use energy if there's nothing to actively transport into a nonexistent mitochondria. Terribly worded correct answer choice but you should be able to eliminate the others pretty easily.

 

[betterfuture]

True, but it's just that they deem their answer choices to be "correct" either because the others are either very wrong or they are less correct. But I think this causes way more confusion, since you want to reinforce information from practicing over and over, but if the answer choices are "correct" for other reasons then them actually being factually correct, then that's just wrong.

 

[yeasureyoubetcha]

I think what I said before is incorrect. NADH is not actively transported in, however, it does drop off the electrons from the glycolysis generated NADH at the second complex of the ETC instead of the first one yielding fewer ATP overall.

Practice prep companies have questions like that sometimes. On the actual MCAT, I doubt you will see something like that

 

[betterfuture]

NADH gives off fewer ATP based on the shuttle it uses. Either the Glycerol 3 phosphate shuttle or the Malate-Aspartate Shuttle. I think that's what you meant. And by the way, NADH does not pass it's electrons in the second complex. It is FADH2 that does that.