Final answer:
Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway used by both plants and animals to break down glucose for energy production. It occurs in the cytosol and is an ancient and universal process essential for life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the choices given, the pathway used by both plants and animals is glycolysis. Glycolysis is a series of biochemical reactions that break down glucose to produce energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). This process occurs in the cytosol of cells and does not require oxygen, which makes it anaerobic. Because of this, it is utilized by a wide variety of organisms, from the simplest bacteria to the most complex animals and plants. Glycolysis produces pyruvate, which can then be used in the citric acid cycle if oxygen is present, eventually leading to the production of additional ATP through the electron transport chain.
Glycolysis is considered an ancient metabolic pathway that likely evolved early in the history of life on Earth. It is a critical step in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration and is thus essential for cellular energy production in nearly all living organisms, including both plants and animals.