Final answer:
Glycolysis is the process of converting glucose (6 carbons) into glucose-6-phosphate (6 carbons) through several enzymatic steps, including phosphorylation and rearrangement reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glycolysis is the process by which glucose (6 carbons) is converted into glucose-6-phosphate (6 carbons). The process involves several enzymatic steps. First, glucose is phosphorylated by the enzyme hexokinase or glucokinase, using ATP, to form glucose-6-phosphate. This phosphorylation serves to make glucose more reactive and keeps it inside the cell. Then, glucose-6-phosphate is converted into fructose-6-phosphate through the action of the enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase. This is followed by further phosphorylation and rearrangement steps to form fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, which is eventually split into two molecules of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate.