Question

Nearly all organisms on Earth carry out some form of glycolysis. How does this fact support or not support the assertion that glycolysis is one of the oldest metabolic pathways?; Because they lose their mitochondria during development, red blood cells cannot perform aerobic respiration; however, they do perform glycolysis in the cytoplasm. Why do all cells need an energy source, and what would happen if glycolysis were blocked in a red blood cell?

a) Supports: Universal occurrence suggests ancient origin; Red blood cells would undergo apoptosis
b) Does not support: Complexity indicates recent evolution; Red blood cells would switch to anaerobic respiration
c) Supports: Simplicity implies ancient origin; Red blood cells would switch to photosynthesis
d) Does not support: Lack of specificity suggests recent evolution; Red blood cells would switch to aerobic respiration

Answer 1

Glycolysis is considered one of the oldest metabolic pathways based on its universal occurrence in organisms. Red blood cells perform glycolysis as their main energy source, and if glycolysis were blocked, they would switch to another pathway such as anaerobic respiration. Glycolysis is essential for all cells to generate ATP, and its absence can lead to cell dysfunction and death.

Step-by-step explanation:

Glycolysis is a universal metabolic process found in nearly all organisms, which suggests that it is one of the oldest metabolic pathways. The fact that all organisms carry out some form of glycolysis supports this assertion. Glycolysis is a simple process that does not require oxygen and can occur in the cytoplasm of cells. It is likely that glycolysis evolved early in the history of life when oxygen was not yet present in the atmosphere. Thus, the widespread occurrence of glycolysis in organisms supports the idea that it is one of the oldest metabolic pathways.

Red blood cells (RBCs) do not perform aerobic respiration due to the loss of mitochondria during development. However, they do perform glycolysis in the cytoplasm to generate ATP. All cells, including red blood cells, need an energy source to carry out their functions. If glycolysis were blocked in a red blood cell, the cell would switch to anaerobic respiration, which is an alternate pathway for generating ATP without oxygen. Red blood cells would not be able to function properly without an energy source, and if glycolysis were completely blocked, it could lead to cell death through apoptosis.