How on earth does aerobic respiration actually work to release energy/ATP?

Question

In school, we’re taught the general balanced formula for aerobic respiration:

**C6H12O6** **+ 6O2** **→ 6CO2** **+ 6H2O (+ energy)**

Later, the idea of ATP as ‘energy’ is introduced.

If the above equation is balanced, then how on earth are we just getting another 36 molecules of ATP? How do we use that ATP to do useful, energy-comsuming things?

What in God’s name is the Kreb’s Cycle?? Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!

In: 6

Answer 1

You’re asking “where does the physical matter of the ATP molecules come from?”

The full balanced equation is C6H12O6 + 6O2 + **n ADP + n P** -> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + **n ATP**, where n is in principle as high as 38 but in practice is usually ~30 or so because the body doesn’t have perfect control of the reaction. The “energy” is the difference between ADP + P and ATP; the ATP doesn’t just appear, it’s assembled by the reactions.