Final answer:
Glycolysis is a process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate. It requires an initial investment of ATP but ultimately yields ATP and NADH. The process consists of three stages: investment, cleavage, and harvest.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glycolysis is a sequence of chemical reactions that breaks down glucose into two three-carbon compounds called pyruvate. It consists of three stages: investment, cleavage, and harvest. In the investment stage, two molecules of ATP are invested to energize the separation of glucose. In the cleavage stage, glucose is metabolized further and rearranged through enzyme-catalyzed steps, releasing energy and forming ATP from ADP and phosphate molecules. In the harvest stage, two molecules of pyruvate are produced, along with two ATP and two NADH molecules.