Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway that takes place in the cytoplasm of cells and

is a key part of both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. It is the first stage of cellular
respiration and is responsible for breaking down glucose (a six-carbon sugar molecule) into
two molecules of pyruvate (a three-carbon compound), while simultaneously generating a
small amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reducing power in the form of
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Here's an explanation of the key steps and
components of glycolysis:

**Glycolysis Overview:**
Glycolysis is a sequence of ten enzymatic reactions that can be divided into two phases: the
energy-investment phase and the energy-harvesting phase.

**Energy-Investment Phase (Steps 1-5):**

1. **Hexokinase/Hexokinase I:** In the first step, glucose is phosphorylated by hexokinase
using one molecule of ATP to produce glucose-6-phosphate. This phosphorylation traps
glucose inside the cell, preventing it from diffusing out.

2. **Phosphoglucose Isomerase:** Glucose-6-phosphate is converted into fructose-6-

phosphate through an isomerization reaction.

3. **Phosphofructokinase-1:** Fructose-6-phosphate is phosphorylated by ATP to produce

fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. This is a key regulatory step in glycolysis and is subject to
allosteric regulation.

4. **Aldolase:** Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is cleaved into two three-carbon molecules:

dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P).

5. **Triosephosphate Isomerase:** DHAP is isomerized into another molecule of G3P,

resulting in two molecules of G3P. G3P is the molecule that continues through the rest of the
glycolytic pathway.

**Energy-Harvesting Phase (Steps 6-10):**

6. **G3P Dehydrogenase:** In this reaction, G3P is oxidized, and NADH is generated. This
step is coupled with the phosphorylation of G3P to form 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate.

7. **Phosphoglycerate Kinase:** 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate donates a phosphate group to

ADP, forming ATP, and is converted into 3-phosphoglycerate.

8. **Phosphoglycerate Mutase:** An isomerization reaction converts 3-phosphoglycerate into

2-phosphoglycerate.

9. **Enolase:** Water is removed from 2-phosphoglycerate, forming phosphoenolpyruvate

(PEP).

10. **Pyruvate Kinase:** PEP donates its phosphate group to ADP, forming another ATP
and converting it into pyruvate. This step is the final ATP-generating reaction in glycolysis.
At the end of glycolysis, one molecule of glucose has been converted into two molecules of
pyruvate, and a net gain of two ATP molecules has been produced. Additionally, two
molecules of NADH have been generated, which will be used in the subsequent stages of
cellular respiration to produce more ATP through the electron transport chain and oxidative
phosphorylation.

Glycolysis plays a central role in cellular metabolism, as it is a common pathway for the
catabolism of glucose and other sugars. It is essential for energy production and provides
carbon skeletons for various biosynthetic pathways within the cell.