At the end of the citric acid cycle, one glucose molecule, which is broken down into two pyruvate molecules, ultimately yields a net gain of 2 ATPs directly from substrate-level phosphorylation. Additionally, the cycle produces 6 NADH and 2 FADH2, which are later used in the electron transport chain to generate approximately 22 additional ATPs through oxidative phosphorylation. Therefore, the total ATP yield from one glucose molecule after the entire process, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, is about 30 to 32 ATPs.
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