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How many net ATP are produced from glycolysis per glucose molecule?

  1. 1 ATP

  2. 2 ATP

  3. 4 ATP

  4. 32 ATP

The correct answer is: 2 ATP

Glycolysis is a biochemical pathway that breaks down one molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate, producing energy in the form of ATP and NADH in the process. During glycolysis, four ATP molecules are generated through substrate-level phosphorylation; however, two ATP molecules are consumed in the early stages of the pathway. Therefore, when considering the net production of ATP, the outcome is a gain of two ATP molecules for each molecule of glucose processed. In summary, from one molecule of glucose, glycolysis produces a net total of two ATP, reflecting the balance of ATP made and ATP used during the process.