Refer to Figure 9.2, showing the citric acid cycle, as a guide to answer the following questions.

-Recall that the complete oxidation of a mole of glucose releases 686 kcal of energy (ΔG = -686 kcal/mol). The phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP stores approximately 7.3 kcal per mole of ATP. What is the approximate efficiency of cellular respiration for a "mutant" organism that produces only 29 moles of ATP for every mole of glucose oxidized, rather than the usual 36-38 moles of ATP?

Question

Refer to Figure 9.2, showing the citric acid cycle, as a guide to answer the following questions.
 
-Recall that the complete oxidation of a mole of glucose releases 686 kcal of energy (ΔG = -686 kcal/mol). The phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP stores approximately 7.3 kcal per mole of ATP. What is the approximate efficiency of cellular respiration for a "mutant" organism that produces only 29 moles of ATP for every mole of glucose oxidized, rather than the usual 36-38 moles of ATP?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The efficiency is calculated by dividing the energy stored in ATP by the total energy released from glucose oxidation. For 29 moles of ATP, the energy stored is 29 moles * 7.3 kcal/mole = 211.7 kcal. The efficiency is (211.7 kcal / 686 kcal) * 100% ≈ 30%.