Suppose an organism can alternate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration. If it had to use anaerobic respiration exclusively, how many glucose molecules must it break down to generate the same ATP as it would in aerobic respiration?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aerobic respiration produces about 38 ATP per glucose, while anaerobic respiration produces about 2 ATP per glucose. To match 38 ATP, 19 glucose molecules are needed (38/2 = 19).

Suppose an Organism Can Alternate Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration