A lot of energy is contained in each mole of glucose (686kcal), and if a cell were to release all that energy at once, the amount of heat produced would kill the cell. Which of the following statements is the most likely explanation for how a cell keeps itself from bursting into flames.

Question

a) Glycolysis occurs in steps and each step does release heat, but not enough at one time to damage the cell.
b) The cell has several protective organelles that absorb the excess energy released from the glucose and stores it in the form of fat cells, explaining why lots of sugar will make you gain weight.
c) The cell extracts the energy from one mole of glucose all at once, but couples the reaction with an equally powerful endergonic reaction that uses up the excess energy.
d) The cell extracts energy from one mole of glucose all at once, but the heat is used to maintain the cell's internal temperature. Why else would humans have such a warm body temperature?
e) Both b) and d) are correct.

Answer 1

Ans: a) Glycolysis occurs in steps and each step does release heat, but not enough at one time to damage the cell.