NADH and FADH2 carry high-energy electrons that are used to power the production of ATP in the mitochondria. These cofactors are generated during glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the fatty acid oxidation cycle

Which molecule below can produce the most ATP? Explain your answer.
(a) NADH from glycolysis
(b) FADH2 from the fatty acid cycle
(c) NADH from the citric acid cycle
(d) FADH2 from the citric acid cycle


Choice (c) is correct. NADH produced in glycolysis does not contribute directly to ATP production in the mitochondria because it cannot be imported into the matrix. If the energy is transferred to a different carrier, some of the stored energy is lost. FADH2, from either the fatty acid cycle or the citric acid cycle, contributes less energy than NADH from the citric acid cycle because the electrons are donated further down the chain. Fewer electron transfers means that fewer protons are pumped across the membrane.

Biology & Microbiology

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The main reason scientists thought that proteins, rather than DNA, were the carriers of genetic material

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Biology & Microbiology