Glycolysis Overview

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the key concepts from the glycolysis lecture notes.

Glycolysis

A biochemical pathway that harvests energy by oxidizing glucose to pyruvate.

Glucose

A six-carbon sugar that is split during glycolysis.

Pyruvate

The ionized form of pyruvic acid, formed from the oxidation of glucose.

Energy Investment Phase

The phase in glycolysis where ATP is used to initiate the breakdown of glucose.

Energy Payoff Phase

The phase in glycolysis where ATP is produced and NADH is generated.

Substrate-level phosphorylation

A mechanism of producing ATP in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

NADH

A high-energy electron carrier produced during glycolysis.

Oxidation

The process of losing electrons during the breakdown of glucose in glycolysis.

Three-carbon sugars

The products of glucose splitting in glycolysis.

Ten steps

The total number of reactions in the glycolytic pathway.

Biochemical pathway

A series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell.

Energy yield

The net gain of ATP and NADH from glycolysis per glucose molecule.

ATP

A molecule that stores and transfers energy within cells.

Carbon accounting

The process of tracking all carbon atoms as they are transformed in metabolic pathways.

Reducing agent

A substance that donates electrons in a redox reaction.

Oxidizing agent

A substance that accepts electrons in a redox reaction.

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate

An intermediate molecule formed during glycolysis.

Pyruvic acid

The acidic form of pyruvate before it is ionized.

Anaerobic conditions

Conditions under which glycolysis can occur without the presence of oxygen.

Citric acid cycle

A metabolic pathway that extracts energy from pyruvate after glycolysis.

Oxidative phosphorylation

The process that generates ATP using energy derived from the electron transport chain.

ATP investment

The initial expenditure of ATP required to start glycolysis.

Figure 7.7

A visual representation outlining the energy input and output of glycolysis.

Figure 7.8

A diagram illustrating the ten steps of the glycolytic pathway.

Core process

A fundamental metabolic process shared by various life forms, including bacteria and eukaryotes.

Glucose metabolism

The process by which glucose is broken down to produce energy.

Enzyme function

Catalyst activity in biochemical reactions during glycolysis.

Metabolic intermediates

Substances formed during the steps of a metabolic pathway.

Redox reaction

A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons.

Glycolytic pathway

The series of reactions that constitute glycolysis.

Energy extraction

The process of obtaining energy from stored compounds like pyruvate and NADH.

Carbon release in glycolysis

No carbon atoms are released into the atmosphere during glycolysis.

Biochemical reaction rate

The speed at which enzymes catalyze reactions in glycolysis.

Fermentation

An anaerobic process that follows glycolysis if oxygen is not available.

Fermentative pathways

Metabolic routes that regenerate NAD+ from NADH in the absence of oxygen.

Glycogenolysis

The breakdown of glycogen into glucose, often preceding glycolysis.

NAD+

The oxidized form of NADH, which can accept electrons.

Reaction coupling

The linking of two reactions in metabolism, such as glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

ATP synthesis

The process of forming ATP, particularly during glycolysis.

Electron transport chain

A sequence of protein complexes that transfer electrons to form ATP in aerobic respiration.

Mitochondrial function

The operation of mitochondria in energy production, related to glycolysis.