The first sequence of reactions in glucose metabolism, leading to the formation of two molecules of pyruvic acid from each glucose molecule.
The breakdown of glucose to simpler compounds such as lactic acid; occurs in muscle.
The energy pathway responsible for the initial catabolism of glucose in a 10- or 11-step process that begins with glucose or glycogen and ends with the production of pyruvate (aerobic glycolysis) or lactate (anaerobic glycolysis).
A metabolic process in which sugars are broken down into smaller compounds with the release of energy. This series of chemical reactions is found in plant and animal cells as well as in many microorganisms. Except for the final reaction in the series, the chemical reaction pathway of glycolysis is the same as that for fermentation.
The production of energy from the anaerobic breakdown of glucose.
The metabolic breakdown of glucose to release energy.
The glycolytic pathway for the anaerobic catabolism of glucose can be found in all cells in the body. This pathway begins with glucose, a six-carbon unit, and through a series of reactions produces two molecules of ATP and two molecules of pyruvate. The control of glycolysis is vested in several key steps. The first step is the activation of glucose through the formation of glucose-6-phosphate. In the liver and pancreatic P cell, this step is catalyzed by the enzyme glucokinase. A molecule of ATP is used and magnesium is required. Glucose-6-phosphate is a key metabolite. It can proceed down the glycolytic pathway or move through the hexose monophosphate shunt (see Hexose Monophosphate Shunt), or be used to produce glycogen. The amount of glucose-6-phosphate oxidized directly to pyruvate depends on the nutritional state of the animal, the type of cell, the genetics of the animal, and its hormonal state. Some cell types, the brain cell for example, do not produce glycogen. Some people do not have shunt activity in the red cells because the code for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase has mutated such that the enzyme is not functional. Insulin-deficient animals likewise have little shunt activity due to the lack of insulin’s effect on the synthesis of its enzymes. All these factors determine how much glucose-6-phosphate goes in which direction.
Glycolysis is the catabolism of glucose for energy. Glucose serves as a primary fuel for the body and is a highly preferred fuel for many cells including the central nervous system and red blood cells. When athletes need to rapidly produce energy from glucose during very strenuous exercise that can last for only a short time, a large proportion of that glucose will be metabolized anaerobically to produce ATP and the final product lactic acid. As the intensity of exercise decreases, aerobic glucose metabolism will predominate and although ATP will be produced less rapidly, the final product of glycolysis will be pyruvic acid, which can undergo further metabolism via the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, followed by Krebs cycle and ultimately the electron transport system to produce additional ATP.
Breakdown of glucose and other sugars through a series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions to either pyruvic acid (aerobic glycolysis in the presence of oxygen) or lactic acid (anaerobic glycolysis without oxygen), releasing energy for the body in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
The conversion of glucose, by a series of ten enzyme-catalyzed reactions, to lactic acid. Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of cells and the first nine reactions (converting glucose to pyruvate) form the first stage of cellular respiration. The process involves the production of a small amount of energy (in the form of ATP), which is used for biochemical work. The final reaction of glycolysis (converting pyruvate to lactic acid) provides energy for short periods of time when oxygen consumption exceeds demand; for example, during bursts of intense muscular activity.
The first stage of cell respiration, the series of reactions that convert a molecule of glucose to two molecules of pyruvic acid with the formation of a small amount of ATP.
The process of converting glucose or glycogen into pyruvate to provide energy for cellular functions.