Final answer:
The substrate used in the last step of glycolysis is pyruvate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The substrate used in the last step of glycolysis is pyruvate. Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, generating a small amount of ATP and NADH in the process. Step 10 of glycolysis, catalyzed by the enzyme pyruvate kinase, produces a second ATP molecule by substrate-level phosphorylation and pyruvate as the end product.
For example, when glucose undergoes glycolysis, it is converted into two molecules of pyruvate, which can then be further metabolized in the citric acid cycle or undergo fermentation depending on the presence of oxygen.