Describe the steps involved in glycolysis (flow chart or explanation)

The glycolysis or EMP route is the mechanism by which glucose (6C substance) is converted into two molecules of pyruvic acid (3C compound). It can be found in the cytoplasm.

The following are the reactions that occur during glycolysis:

(i) ATP phosphorylates glucose to produce glucose-6-phosphate. Hexokinase is the enzyme that catalyses the reaction.

(ii) Phosphoglucoisomerase isomerizes glucose-6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate.

(iii) ATP is used to phosphorylate fructose-6-phosphate, resulting in fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Phosphofructokinase is the enzyme that catalyses this process. ADP is formed when ATP is dephosphorylated.

(iv) The enzyme aldolase cleaves fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate into two 3C compounds: dihydroxy acetone phosphate (DHAP) and 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde. These two groups of three are isomers.

(v) The action of triosephosphate isomerase allows DHAP and 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde to be interconverted. These five reactions form the hexose phase, which yields two molecules of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde, a 3-carbon chemical. Two ATP molecules are utilised during the hexose phase.

In the presence of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase, a molecule of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde is phosphorylated and oxidised to 1, 3-bisphosphoglyceric acid. One NADH₂ is generated during this process.

(vii) Phosphoglyceric kinase converts 1, 3-bisphosphoglyceric acid to a molecule of 3-phosphoglyceric acid. One ATP is generated during this process. Direct phosphorylation, also known as substrate phosphorylation, is a method of ATP synthesis.

(viii) Phosphoglyceric mutase converts a molecule of 3-phosphoglyceric acid into a molecule of 2-phosphoglyceric acid. The phosphate molecule is moved from the third carbon in this process.

(ix) A molecule of 2-phosphoenol pyruvic acid is dephosphorylated and ADP is phosphorylated to produce ATP. Pyruvic kinase catalyses this process. Two molecules of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde create two molecules of pyruvic acid during the triose phase.

(x)In the hexose phase of glycolysis, 4ATP and 2NADH₂ molecules are generated, while 2ATP molecules are consumed. As a result, there is a net gain of 2ATP and 2NADH₂.

Hence, this is the explanation for the pathway of glycolysis in which one molecule of glucose yields two molecules of pyruvic acid.