Where Does Glycolysis Occur? (What is Glycolysis?)
Ever had to sit down and wonder what Glycolysis is and where it occurs? If yes, then you are in the right place. This article will answer the question, where does Glycolysis occur? (what is Glycolysis?).
What is Glycolysis?
The Greek words “Glykos,” which means sweet (sugar), and “Lysis,” which means to split or split, are the origin of the word “glycolysis.”
As a result, glycolysis (or the glycolytic route) is the metabolic breakdown of glucose, a sugar with six carbons, to produce energy.
Energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is needed for metabolic activities in a variety of organisms (e.g. reactions involved in muscle contraction).
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Therefore, in order to release this chemical energy, glucose, the body’s primary energy source, must be broken down through a number of following processes.
This metabolic process additionally discharges two molecules of pyruvate and NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), in addition to adenosine triphosphate (a three-carbon molecule).
More so, German researchers Hans and Eduard Buchner, who was attempting to create cell-free yeast extract, discovered glycolysis in 1897.
Where does Glycolysis Occur?
The two phases of glycolysis, which take place in the cytoplasm and break down the 6-carbon molecule of glucose, occur there.
Also, through a sequence of events, glucose is divided into two phosphorylated 3-carbon molecules during the first stage.
Each of the three-carbon compounds undergoes oxidation in the second stage, producing pyruvate and two molecules of ATP in the process.
Let’s now delve a little further, beginning with a single glucose molecule in the cytoplasm.
Stage 1
Step 1
Our glucose molecule undergoes phosphorylation to become glucose 6-phosphate, which retains its intracellular location and phosphoryl transfer potential.
Hexokinase, an enzyme, catalyzes this reaction, which requires one molecule of ATP.
Step 2
Fructose 6-phosphate, a glucose 6-phosphate isomer, is produced during the conversion of glucose 6-phosphate.
However, Fructose 6-phosphate is easily cleavable whereas glucose 6-phosphate is not, hence this step is crucial.
Step 3
Another round of phosphorylation transforms fructose 6-phosphate into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, meaning both ends of the chain now have a phosphate group attached.
With the help of one molecule of ATP, this process traps the molecule in its fructose state.
Stage 2
The second stage’s objective is to use a sequence of oxidative phosphorylations to change our two GAP molecules into pyruvate.
We will complete the second stage one GAP molecule at a time to keep things straightforward.
Let’s resume with these six steps;
Step 6
Each GAP molecule is changed into 1,3-Bisphosphoglycerate in this step. This can be condensed to 1,3-BPG.
More so, 1,3-BPG is produced because the recently formed phosphate group has a significant potential for phosphoryl transfer. This bond will release energy if it is broken.
One molecule of NADH, a high-energy electron carrier that can be used to manufacture ATP later on during cellular respiration, is also produced in the process along with the 1,3-BPG.
Step 7
By removing a phosphate molecule from 1,3-BPG and adding it to 3-phosphoglycerate, 1,3-BPG is transformed into 3-phosphoglycerate.
Also, energy is produced by this activity in the form of one ATP molecule.
Step 8
Another very energetic phosphoryl-transfer molecule is created when 3-phosphoglycerate is transformed into 2-phosphoglycerate.
Step 9
Phosphoenolpyruvate, sometimes known as PEP, is created from 2-phosphoglycerate.
Meanwhile, this substance has high energy and is consequently unstable, easily converting to pyruvate in the next process.
Step 10
The end result of glycolysis is pyruvate, which is converted from PEP.
More so, for a total of two ATP molecules for the second stage of the process and glycolysis as a whole, this conversion step produces one extra ATP molecule.
This concludes stage two for the first GAP molecule, however, stage one generated two GAP molecules, so keep that in mind as well.
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More Details
This simply means that in order to process the second GAP molecule, you must repeat stage 2. A total of two molecules of NADH and two molecules of pyruvate are produced as a result of the energy released during this process.
Also, the Krebs cycle, commonly known as the citric acid cycle, is where the pyruvate goes once it has been metabolized.
Finally, glycolysis is a process that breaks down glucose into two phosphorylated 3-carbon compounds in the cytoplasm, where it is then oxidized to produce pyruvate and two molecules of ATP.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where does Glycolysis Occur Take Place?
In the cytoplasm.
2. Why does Glycolysis Occur in the Cytoplasm?
It occurs in order to split glucose into two 3-carbon phosphorylated compounds, which are then oxidized to produce pyruvate and two molecules of ATP.
3. Where does Glycolysis Start and End?
It starts and ends when two molecules of the three-carbon sugar pyruvate are produced at the end of glycolysis from the initial glucose molecule.
4. What and where is Glycolysis?
Glycolysis is the process by which glucose is broken down to provide energy. It generates two pyruvate molecules, ATP, NADH, and water.
There is no need for oxygen throughout the process, which occurs in the cytoplasm of a cell. Both aerobic and anaerobic creatures experience it.
5. Does Glycolysis Only Occur in the Liver?
It occurs in liver cells.
6. Does Glycolysis Occur Inside or Outside the Mitochondria?
No, glycolysis occurs in the cytosol.
7. Does Glycolysis Occur in Every Cell?
Yes, glycolysis happens during cellular respiration in all living cells, including those found in humans.
8. What are the 3 Stages of Glycolysis?
-
Priming stage
-
Splitting stage
-
Oxidoreduction-phosphorylation stage
9. What is Another Name for Glycolysis?
EMP pathway.
This article has been written to provide you with knowledge of where Glycolysis occurs and what Glycolysis is. We hope this was beneficial. Happy studying and thanks for reading.