Final answer:
Glycolysis converts glucose into pyruvate by phosphorylating and restructuring the glucose molecule, followed by an energy extraction phase producing ATP and NADH. The outcome is two three-carbon pyruvate molecules from each glucose.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glycolysis is a biologic process where glucose, a six-carbon sugar, is converted into two three-carbon molecules called pyruvate. Initially, glucose undergoes a phosphorylation reaction to become glucose-6-phosphate, a more reactive compound that is trapped within the cell. This is carried out by hexokinase or glucokinase enzymes. Glucose-6-phosphate is then converted to fructose-6-phosphate. Subsequently, fructose-6-phosphate is phosphorylated again to become fructose-1,6-bisphosphate.
This compound is then cleaved into two three-carbon compounds: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate, the latter of which is quickly converted to another glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate molecule. These three-carbon molecules are then further processed to extract energy in the form of ATP and NADH, concluding with the generation of pyruvate molecules.