Final answer:
Glycolysis is the first pathway used in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy. It is a process used by almost all organisms to release energy stored within glucose molecules. This pathway occurs in the cytoplasm of cells and consists of two parts: preparing the six-carbon ring of glucose for separation and extracting ATP and high-energy electrons from hydrogen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glycolysis is the first pathway used in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy. It is a process used by almost all organisms to release energy stored within glucose molecules. The word glycolysis means "glucose splitting," as enzymes split a molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate. This pathway occurs in the cytoplasm of cells and consists of two parts: preparing the six-carbon ring of glucose for separation and extracting ATP and high-energy electrons from hydrogen. Glycolysis must have evolved early in the history of life, as it is used by nearly all organisms on Earth.