Question

Use each of the following observations to justify the claim that glycolysis first occurred in a common ancestor of all living organisms.

A) Common occurrence in eukaryotes
B) Presence in bacteria and archaea
C) Requirement for oxygen
D) Not related to glycolysis

Answer 1

The universal presence of glycolysis in all domains of life and its ability to function without oxygen support the idea that it originated in a common ancestor and is a primitive pathway essential to early life.

Step-by-step explanation:

The observations that glycolysis occurs in eukaryotes, bacteria, archaea, and does not require oxygen, combined with the fact that glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of nearly every cell, justify the claim that glycolysis first occurred in a common ancestor of all living organisms. This universality implies that glycolysis was present in a common ancestor before the diversification into different domains of life, which is further supported by the notion that glycolysis does not use oxygen, and thus could function before the Earth's atmosphere contained oxygen. Additionally, glycolysis is a primitive pathway and the primary way to break down glucose in the absence of oxygen, which underscores its fundamental role in early life forms.