If one molecule of glucose undergoes the reaction of glycolysis, what is produced?
If one molecule of glucose undergoes the reaction of glycolysis, it produces two molecules of pyruvate, two molecules of ATP (net gain of two ATP molecules), and two molecules of NADH.
When one molecule of glucose undergoes glycolysis, it produces two molecules of pyruvate, two molecules of ATP (net gain), and two molecules of NADH.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
1. Glucose, a six-carbon sugar, is converted into two molecules of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P), a three-carbon compound.
2. In the process, two molecules of ATP are consumed to phosphorylate glucose and activate it for further reactions. This step is known as the energy investment phase.
3. G3P is oxidized to produce two molecules of pyruvate, generating four molecules of ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation. However, two ATP molecules were consumed in the energy investment phase, resulting in a net gain of two ATP molecules.
4. In addition to ATP, two molecules of NADH are also produced when NAD+ is reduced during the oxidation of G3P.
Overall, one molecule of glucose is converted into two molecules of pyruvate, two molecules of ATP (net gain), and two molecules of NADH during glycolysis.
Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway that occurs in the cytoplasm of cells and involves the breakdown of glucose into simpler compounds. When one molecule of glucose undergoes glycolysis, the following products are produced:
1. Two molecules of pyruvate: Glucose is first broken down into two molecules of a three-carbon compound called pyruvate. This step involves a series of enzymatic reactions, which result in the release of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and the reduction of electron carriers (NAD+ to NADH).
2. ATP: During glycolysis, a small amount of ATP is produced through substrate-level phosphorylation. This means that ATP is synthesized directly by transferring a phosphate group from an intermediate molecule to ADP (adenosine diphosphate).
3. NADH: In addition to ATP, the electron carriers NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) are converted to NADH. NADH is an energy-rich molecule that carries high-energy electrons to the electron transport chain to produce more ATP later in cellular respiration.
It is important to note that glycolysis is only the first step in cellular respiration, and further oxidation of pyruvate and the subsequent steps occur in the mitochondria to generate more ATP.