EMP can produce a total of how many ATP under aerobic condition.

Options

A. 6
B. 8
C. 24
D. 38 ATP

Answer

To determine how many ATP molecules are produced by the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway, also known as glycolysis, under aerobic conditions, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Glycolysis**:
- Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose (a 6-carbon compound) into two molecules of pyruvate (3-carbon compounds).
- This process occurs in the cytoplasm of cells and does not require oxygen (anaerobic), but it can feed into aerobic respiration.

2. **ATP Investment**:
- The glycolysis pathway requires an initial investment of 2 ATP molecules to start the process. This is necessary for the phosphorylation of glucose and its intermediates.

3. **ATP Production**:
- During glycolysis, a total of 4 ATP molecules are produced through substrate-level phosphorylation.
- Therefore, the net gain of ATP from glycolysis is calculated as follows:
- ATP produced (4) - ATP invested (2) = Net gain of 2 ATP.

4. **NADH Production**:
- In addition to ATP, glycolysis produces 2 NADH molecules. Under aerobic conditions, each NADH can yield approximately 2.5 ATP when it enters the electron transport chain.
- Thus, from 2 NADH, we can gain an additional:
- 2 NADH × 2.5 ATP/NADH = 5 ATP.

5. **Total ATP Calculation**:
- Now, we can calculate the total ATP produced during glycolysis under aerobic conditions:
- Net ATP from glycolysis (2) + ATP from NADH (5) = Total ATP = 2 + 5 = 7 ATP.

6. **Final Adjustment**:
- However, in some calculations, NADH is considered to yield 3 ATP instead of 2.5 ATP in certain contexts, which would lead to:
- 2 NADH × 3 ATP/NADH = 6 ATP.
- Therefore, total ATP = 2 (from glycolysis) + 6 (from NADH) = 8 ATP.

### Conclusion:
Under aerobic conditions, the EMP pathway produces a total of **8 ATP**.