Microbiology Practice Exam

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Which process yields the least ATP in prokaryotes?

Aerobic respiration
Fermentation
Anaerobic respiration
Electron transport chain

The correct answer is: Anaerobic respiration

Fermentation yields the least ATP in prokaryotes because it is an anaerobic process that does not utilize the electron transport chain, resulting in a significantly lower energy yield compared to other processes like aerobic and anaerobic respiration. In fermentation, glucose is partially oxidized, and the process generates only 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule through substrate-level phosphorylation. This is in contrast to aerobic respiration, which can yield up to 38 ATP, and anaerobic respiration, which can produce around 30 ATP, depending on the terminal electron acceptors used. The electron transport chain is a crucial part of aerobic and anaerobic respiration, where the majority of ATP is synthesized through oxidative phosphorylation. Therefore, fermentation is distinctly less efficient in terms of ATP production, making it the process that yields the least energy in prokaryotic organisms.