Question

What is needed for glycolysis?

Answer 1

Glycolysis:

1. Glycolysis is a series of metabolic reactions involving ten steps to convert glucose into pyruvic acid.
2. It helps in the partial breakdown of glucose to form two molecules of pyruvic acid.
3. It is a common pathway in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
4. It takes place in cytoplasm of the cells and it is a important metabolic pathway for the generation of energy.

Steps in glycolysis:

1. The glucose (6C) molecule is converted to glucose-6-phosphate (6C) in the presence of the hexokinase enzyme by utilizing a molecule of ATP.
2. Glucose-6-phosphate (6C) is isomerized to fructose-6-phosphate (6C) in the presence of the enzyme phosphoglucoisomerase.
3. Phosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate (6C) to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (6C) using a molecule of ATP in the presence of phosphofructokinase.
4. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate converts to two molecules of triose phosphate (3C) in the presence of aldolase.
5. Each molecule of triose phosphate (3C) is converted into triose bisphosphate (3C) by utilizing one molecule of NAD⁺ each. So, in this step two NAD⁺ is needed and this occurs in the presence of the enzyme triosephosphate isomerase.
6. These two molecules of triose bisphosphate (3C) are converted into two molecules of triose phosphate (3C) along with the formation of two ATP molecules and this occurs in the presence of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme.
7. Each molecule of triose phosphate (3C) is converted to phosphoglycerate (3C) in the presence of phosphoglycerate kinase.
8. The molecules of 2-phosphoglycerate (3C) form two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate (3C) and this occurs in the presence of phosphoglycerate mutase.
9. Two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate (3C) undergo dehydration to form two molecules of phosphoenolpyruvate (3C) and this occurs in the presence of enolase.
10. Each molecule of 3-phosphoenolpyruvate (3C) converts into pyruvic acid (3C) with the formation of ATP and this occurs in the presence of pyruvate kinase.