Home > Community > How many ATPs are produced from maltose?
Upvote

18

Downvote
+ Biology
+ Biochemistry
+ Chemistry
+ Maltose
Posted by
Mike Pollock

How many ATPs are produced from maltose?

Ara Cicheski  Follow

A side effect of posting your homework questions on Quora is some wise guy will muddy the water further.

You’ve probably been taught - and were expected to regurgitate - the number of ATP generates when hexoses re metabolized by glycolysis followed by the citric acid cycle and full utilization of the respiratory electron transport system.

The obvious objection is that many times cells use fermentation, which generates much less ATP. Or hexoses can be metabolized by the pentose phosphate pathway, which generates even less.

A slightly less obvious objection is that the Krebs isn’t just about energy production; many of the Krebs intermediates are useful biochemical building blocks. Similarly, pumped protons can be used for processes other than the RETC.

So the answer to the question as worded is anywhere between zero and five times the number you were expected to memorize. If the instructor or textbook writer were careful, the word maximum would have been in the question.

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Dennis Pasek  Follow

I think total (38×2= 76) and net 72. Let me explain it.

Maltose contains two glucose molecules. During digestion maltose molecule is broken down into two glucose molecules.

During aerobic respiration each glucose molecule in completely broken down into carbon dioxide and water with release of energy that makes 38 AtP. But during activation phase each glucose needs two ATPs to form glucose 6-Phosphate. So the net number of ATP generation from single glucose is (38–2=36).adding total ATPs from single maltose(two glucose molecules) becomes 76 or net 72.

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote