Question

An anaerobic metabolic pathway that results in the production of two net ATPs per glucose plus two pyruvic acid molecules is ________?

1) the citric acid cycle
2) glycolysis
3) hydrolysis
4) the electron transport chain

Answer 1

Glycolysis is the anaerobic metabolic pathway that produces two net ATPs and two molecules of pyruvic acid for each glucose molecule.

Step-by-step explanation:

The anaerobic metabolic pathway that leads to the production of two net ATPs per glucose molecule plus two molecules of pyruvic acid is glycolysis.

Glycolysis is a process occurring in the cytoplasm where glucose is broken down. In this pathway, glucose, which is a 6-carbon molecule, is split into two 3-carbon molecules of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. These are then converted to pyruvate molecules. During this conversion, ATP is produced. The initial phase of glycolysis uses two ATP molecules, but four ATP molecules are produced, yielding a net gain of two ATPs. Unlike oxidative phosphorylation, which requires oxygen and occurs in the mitochondria, glycolysis does not require oxygen and can proceed under anaerobic conditions.