When `12H^+` pass through `F_(0-)F_1` particle, how many ATP are produced?

Options

A. 6 ATP
B. 4 ATP
C. 8 ATP
D. 10 ATP

Answer

To determine how many ATP molecules are produced when 12 protons (H⁺ ions) pass through the F₀F₁ ATP synthase complex, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Role of F₀F₁ ATP Synthase**:
- The F₀F₁ complex is an enzyme that synthesizes ATP using the energy derived from the flow of protons across the mitochondrial membrane.

2. **Proton Requirement for ATP Synthesis**:
- It is known that for every 2 protons (H⁺ ions) that pass through the F₀F₁ ATP synthase, 1 molecule of ATP is produced.

3. **Calculate the Number of ATP from Protons**:
- Given that 12 protons are passing through the F₀F₁ complex, we can calculate the number of ATP produced by dividing the total number of protons by the number of protons required to produce one ATP.
- Formula:
\[ \text{Number of ATP} = \frac{\text{Total Protons}}{\text{Protons per ATP}} = \frac{12}{2} = 6 \]

4. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, when 12 protons pass through the F₀F₁ particle, a total of 6 ATP molecules are produced.

### Final Answer:
**6 ATP molecules are produced when 12 protons pass through the F₀F₁ ATP synthase.**