Final answer:
Glycolysis is the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, producing 2 ATPs and reducing NAD+ to NADH. It occurs with or without oxygen but does not degrade glucose to CO2 and H2O; this only happens when glycolysis is followed by the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is related to which of the listed statements does not pertain to glycolysis. Glycolysis is a biochemical pathway that involves several steps resulting in the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate. It can occur with or without oxygen and is a crucial step for both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. During glycolysis, glucose is degraded to two molecules of pyruvic acid (pyruvate), with a net production of 2 ATPs and reduction of NAD+ to NADH.
It is important to highlight that glycolysis by itself does not degrade glucose to CO₂ and H₂O; this occurs only when glycolysis is followed by the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, glycolysis can be followed by fermentation, which recycles NADH back to NAD+ allowing glycolysis to continue.