Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle yield how many molecules of NADH per molecule of glucose during respiration?

The yield of NADH during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle for one molecule of glucose is a critical aspect of cellular respiration.

During glycolysis, which occurs in the cytoplasm, one molecule of glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. This process generates a total of two molecules of NADH.

Following glycolysis, each pyruvate enters the mitochondria and is converted into acetyl-CoA, which produces an additional molecule of NADH for each pyruvate formed. Since two pyruvate molecules are produced from one glucose molecule, this results in two more NADH molecules, bringing the subtotal from glycolysis and the conversion to acetyl-CoA to four NADH.

Next, in the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle or TCA cycle), each acetyl-CoA that enters the cycle results in three molecules of NADH. Since two acetyl-CoA molecules are derived from one glucose molecule (as one glucose produces two pyruvate), the Krebs cycle produces a total of six NADH (3 NADH per acetyl-CoA times 2 acetyl-CoA).

When you combine the NADH produced from both glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, you obtain a total of