Glycolysis: Importance, Chemical Reactions, and Energy Balance
Importance of Glycolysis
- Fundamental Pathway: Glycolysis is the first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy for cellular metabolism.
- Universal Pathway: Present in nearly all organisms, reflecting its evolutionary importance.
- Anaerobic Energy Production: Allows cells to produce ATP without oxygen, crucial in anaerobic conditions.
GLYCOLYSIS
- glucose
- 1 HEXOKINASE ATP → ADP
- glucose 6-phosphate
- 2 PHOSPHOGLUCOISOMRASE
- fructose 6-phosphate
- 3 PHOSPHOFRUCTOKINASE ATP → ADP
- fructose 1,6-bisphosphate
- 4 ALDOLASE
- glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) ↔ dehydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)
- ISOMERASE
- TRIOSE PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE 2 NAD⁺ → 2 NADH + 2 H⁺
- 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate
- 7 PHOSPHOGLYCEROKINASE 2 ADP → 2 ATP
- 3-phosphoglycerate
- 8 PHOSPHOGLYCEROMUTASE
- 2-phosphoglycerate
- 9 ENOLASE → 2 H₂O
- phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)
- 10 PYRUVATE KINASE 2 ADP → 2 ATP
- pyruvate
Chemical Reactions of Glycolysis
- Ten Enzyme-Catalyzed Steps: Converts glucose to pyruvate, generating ATP and NADH.
Key Steps:
- Phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate (Hexokinase).
- Conversion of fructose-6-phosphate to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (Phosphofructokinase).
- Cleavage of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate into two three-carbon molecules, and subsequent conversion to pyruvate.