Final answer:
Glycolysis is the first process of aerobic glucose metabolism, occurring in the cytoplasm and requiring 2 ATP molecules to start, resulting in a net production of 2 ATP and 2 NADH molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first process in aerobic glucose metabolism is glycolysis, which takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell. It requires the use of 2 ATP molecules and produces a net energy storing molecules of 2 ATP and 2 NADH.
Glycolysis starts with the investment of 2 ATP molecules to prepare the six-carbon glucose molecule for cleavage. This is followed by a series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions that break down glucose into two three-carbon pyruvate molecules. Although 2 ATP molecules are consumed at the start, 4 ATP molecules are synthesized during the later stages of glycolysis, which results in a net gain of 2 ATP molecules.
Additionally, 2 NADH molecules are produced through the reduction of NAD+ as high-energy electrons are transferred during the reactions.
After glycolysis, under aerobic conditions, the pyruvate molecules produced can enter the Krebs cycle within the mitochondria for further energy extraction. However, glycolysis itself does not require oxygen, making it an anaerobic process.