A test tube full of human muscle cells is in a low-oxygen environment. The cells inside are undergoing fermentation. You are able to measure glucose consumption in the tube. How would glucose consumption change if you added oxygen? Explain your answer.
in the absence of oxygen ATP energy is produced by glycolysis only, glucose is converted to pyruvate and then pyruvate is converted to lactate by lactate dehydrogenase, so net ATP yield in the process is 2 ATPs.
If oxygen is added glucose can be completely oxidized to carbon dioxide so from a glucose molecule 36-38 ATPs can be produced that is in the presence of oxygen, 18- to 19 times more ATP is produced from the a single glucose molecule.
so glucose consumption decreases when oxygen is added to the media.
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