Which 3-carbon molecule is one of the final products of glycolysis?(1 point)
Responses
pyruvic acid
pyruvic acid
NAD+
NAD+
ADP
ADP
oxaloacetic acid
oxaloacetic acid
pyruvic acid
The 3-carbon molecule that is one of the final products of glycolysis is pyruvic acid.
The correct answer is pyruvic acid. To understand why, let's go through the process of glycolysis.
Glycolysis is the initial step in cellular respiration, which is the process by which cells break down glucose to produce energy. It occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and involves the conversion of glucose, a 6-carbon molecule, into two molecules of pyruvic acid, each containing 3 carbons.
During glycolysis, glucose is broken down through a series of enzymatic reactions. The process involves several steps, including glucose phosphorylation, splitting of the 6-carbon molecule into two 3-carbon molecules, and energy production in the form of ATP and NADH.
At the end of glycolysis, one of the final products is indeed pyruvic acid. The other final products include molecules of ATP and NADH, which store energy for later use in the cell. However, the specific question asked for a 3-carbon molecule, and out of the given options, only pyruvic acid fits this description.
Therefore, the correct answer is pyruvic acid.