Efficiency of the Trapping Mechanism

When glucose is broken down to lactic acid in animal tissues, some 58,000 cal. of free energy (AE ) are theoretically available to the cell. Since two high-energy bonds are synthesized, the over-all efficiency is 2 X 10,500/58,000 = 36%. When glycogen is the substrate. 

These simple calculations may also be applied to the typical yeast fermentation of glucose — 2 ethanol 2COt, which releases about 50,000 cal. of free energy. Thus with glucose and starch as initial substrates, efficiencies of 21,000/50,000 = 42% and 31,000/50,000 = 62% 

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