Question

Define glycolysis and give all of its products and reactants.

A) Glycolysis is the initial step of cellular respiration where glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. The reactants are glucose and ATP, and the products are pyruvate, ATP, and NADH.

Answer 1

Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration that takes place in the cytoplasm, splitting glucose into two pyruvate, with a net gain of 2 ATP and 2 NADH molecules.

Step-by-step explanation:

Glycolysis Overview

Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration and occurs in the cytoplasm of cells. Although it takes place in the presence or absence of oxygen, it does not require oxygen. The process involves the splitting of a six-carbon glucose molecule into two three-carbon pyruvate molecules. Glycolysis uses 2 ATP and produces 4 ATP, with a net gain of 2 ATP, alongside 2 NADH molecules. The reaction can be summarized by the equation:

Glucose + 2ATP + 2NAD+ + 4ADP + 2P₁ → 2 Pyruvate + 4ATP + 2NADH + 2H+

The reactants initiating this process are glucose, ATP, NAD+, ADP, and inorganic phosphate. The resulting products are pyruvate, ATP, NADH, and hydrogen ions (H+). The NADH produced is subsequently utilized in the electron transport chain to generate more ATP, making glycolysis a vital step in energy production within cells.