Glycolysis - Definition and Glycolysis Pathway (2024)

“Glycolysis is the metabolic process that converts glucose into pyruvic acid.”

What is Glycolysis?

Glycolysis is the process in which glucose is broken down to produce energy. It produces two molecules of pyruvate, ATP, NADH and water. The process takes place in the cytoplasm of a cell and does not require oxygen. It occurs in both aerobic and anaerobic organisms.

Glycolysis - Definition and Glycolysis Pathway (1)

Glycolysis is the primary step of cellular respiration, which occurs in all organisms. Glycolysis is followed by the Krebs cycle during aerobic respiration. In the absence of oxygen, the cells make small amounts of ATP as glycolysis is followed byfermentation.

This metabolic pathway was discovered by three German biochemists- Gustav Embden, Otto Meyerhof, and Jakub Karol Parnas in the early 19th century and is known as the EMP pathway (Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas).

Also Read:TCA cycle

Glycolysis Pathway

The glycolysis pathway occurs in the following stages:

Glycolysis - Definition and Glycolysis Pathway (2)

Stage 1

  • A phosphate group is added to glucose in the cell cytoplasm, by the action of enzyme hexokinase.
  • In this, a phosphate group is transferred from ATP to glucose forming glucose,6-phosphate.

Stage 2

Glucose-6-phosphate is isomerised into fructose,6-phosphate by the enzyme phosphoglucomutase.

Stage 3

The other ATP molecule transfers a phosphate group to fructose 6-phosphate and converts it into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate by the action of the enzyme phosphofructokinase.

Stage 4

The enzyme aldolase converts fructose 1,6-bisphosphate into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate, which are isomers of each other.

Step 5

Triose-phosphate isomerase converts dihydroxyacetone phosphate into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate which is the substrate in the successive step of glycolysis.

Step 6

This step undergoes two reactions:

  • The enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase transfers 1 hydrogen molecule from glyceraldehyde phosphate to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to form NADH + H+.
  • Glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase adds a phosphate to the oxidised glyceraldehyde phosphate to form 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate.

Step 7

Phosphate is transferred from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to ADP to form ATP with the help of phosphoglycerokinase. Thus two molecules of phosphoglycerate and ATP are obtained at the end of this reaction.

Step 8

The phosphate of both the phosphoglycerate molecules is relocated from the third to the second carbon to yield two molecules of 2-phosphoglycerate by the enzyme phosphoglyceromutase.

Step 9

The enzyme enolase removes a water molecule from 2-phosphoglycerate to form phosphoenolpyruvate.

Step 10

A phosphate from phosphoenolpyruvate is transferred to ADP to form pyruvate and ATP by the action of pyruvate kinase. Two molecules of pyruvate and ATP are obtained as the end products.

Key Points of Glycolysis

  • It is the process in which a glucose molecule is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate.
  • The process takes place in the cytoplasm of plant and animal cells.
  • Six enzymes are involved in the process.
  • The end products of the reaction include 2 pyruvate, 2 ATP and 2 NADH molecules.

Also Read:Difference between Glycolysis and Kreb’s cycle

To know more about glycolysis, its definition and the glycolysis pathway, keep visiting BYJU’S website.

Glycolysis - Definition and Glycolysis Pathway (2024)

FAQs

Glycolysis - Definition and Glycolysis Pathway? ›

Glycolysis, which literally means “breakdown of sugar," is a catabolic process in which six-carbon sugars (hexoses

hexoses
In chemistry, a hexose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar) with six carbon atoms. The chemical formula for all hexoses is C6H12O6, and their molecular weight is 180.156 g/mol. D-Glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hexose
) are oxidized and broken down into pyruvate molecules. The corresponding anabolic pathway by which glucose is synthesized is termed gluconeogenesis.

What is glycolysis and glycolytic pathway? ›

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway that involves the breakdown of glucose to produce energy. This process can occur through two main pathways: aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis.

What is glycolysis in very short answer? ›

(gly-KAH-lih-sis) A process in which glucose (sugar) is partially broken down by cells in enzyme reactions that do not need oxygen. Glycolysis is one method that cells use to produce energy.

What is the definition and process of glycolysis? ›

Glycolysis is a series of reactions that extract energy from glucose by splitting it into two three-carbon molecules called pyruvates. Glycolysis is an ancient metabolic pathway, meaning that it evolved long ago, and it is found in the great majority of organisms alive today ‍ .

What is the definition of glycolysis quizlet? ›

Glycolysis - definition. The breakdown of one molecule of glucose (6C) into two molecules of pyruvate (2 x 3C) with a small net yield of ATP (2 molecules of ATP)

What is the glycolytic pathway simple? ›

Key Points of Glycolysis

It is the process in which a glucose molecule is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. The process takes place in the cytoplasm of plant and animal cells. Six enzymes are involved in the process. The end products of the reaction include 2 pyruvate, 2 ATP and 2 NADH molecules.

What does the glycolysis pathway do? ›

Mitochondria provide the bulk of ATP in most cells when oxygen is abundant. Hence, the major function of glycolysis is to generate intermediates that fuel these biosynthetic pathways. In contrast, in the absence of oxygen, glycolysis's major role is to provide ATP for survival.

What is glycolysis short summary? ›

Glycolysis is a set of reactions that converts glucose to pyruvate or lactate. This is the first metabolic pathway to be elucidated and hence is considered as a paradigm of metabolic pathways. Glycolysis is also called Embden-Meyerhoff pathway.

What are the steps of the glycolysis pathway? ›

Mechanism
  • Glycolysis Phases. Glycolysis has two phases: the investment phase and the payoff phase. ...
  • Investment Phase. In this phase, there are two phosphates added to glucose. ...
  • Payoff Phase. It is critical to remember that there are a total of two 3-carbon sugars for every one glucose at the beginning of this phase.

What happens during glycolysis? ›

The first stage of cellular respiration is glycolysis. It does not require oxygen. During glycolysis, one glucose molecule is split into two pyruvate molecules, using 2 ATP while producing 4 ATP and 2 NADH molecules.

How is the glycolysis pathway regulated? ›

Flux through the Glycolysis pathway is regulated by control of the 3 enzymes that catalyze highly spontaneous reactions: Hexokinase, Phosphofructokinase, & Pyruvate Kinase. steps because the level of enzyme activity can be low even when substrate levels are high.

What is an example of glycolysis? ›

Two types of glycolysis are commonly used in food & beverage production. One is alcoholic fermentation by yeast, used to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol in drinks and carbon dioxide to raise dough. The other is lactic fermentation by bacteria, used with milk and cream to make yogurt, sour cream, and cheese.

What is the main goal of glycolysis? ›

The main aim of glycolysis is to synthesize thousands of ATP molecules used for various cellular metabolism.

What is glycolysis pathway in biology dictionary? ›

Definition. Glycolysis is a metabolic process at the start of the chain of reactions within the process of cellular respiration – production of cellular energy. It occurs in the presence or absence of oxygen to enable aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration.

Which best describes the process of glycolysis? ›

The correct answer is anaerobic process that breaks down glucose. Explanation: Glycolysis helps in the catabolism or breakdown of glucose into pyruvate. The glycolysis process does not requires oxygen to proceed it simply means glycolysis occur in absence of oxygen.

What is the glycolytic system and glycolysis? ›

Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway that uses carbohydrate in the form of glucose or glycogen as fuel to generate ATP anaerobically. Glycolysis begins with the six-carbon, ring-shaped structure of a single glucose molecule and ends with two molecules of a three-carbon sugar called pyruvate.

What is the glycolytic energy pathway? ›

The second pathway, the glycolytic pathway, is the primary energy system used for exercise lasting from 15 seconds to three minutes. People running an 800-meter event, for example, use this pathway the most. This energy system uses the glucose stored in the muscle, broken down primarily from carbohydrates, to form ATP.

What are the functions of the glycolytic pathway? ›

Glycolysis is the first of the main metabolic pathways of cellular respiration to produce energy in the form of ATP. Through two distinct phases, the six-carbon ring of glucose is cleaved into two three-carbon sugars of pyruvate through a series of enzymatic reactions.

Why is glycolytic pathway important? ›

Glycolysis is important because it is the metabolic pathway through which glucose generates cellular energy. Glucose is the most important source of energy for all living organisms. In the human body, glucose is the preferred fuel for the vast majority of cells: It is the only fuel red blood cells can use.

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