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Glycolysis definitions

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  • Glycolysis
    Initial step of cellular respiration, splitting glucose into two pyruvate molecules in the cytoplasm, independent of oxygen.
  • Glucose
    Six-carbon sugar molecule serving as the starting substrate for energy extraction in cellular respiration.
  • Pyruvate
    Three-carbon molecule produced from glucose breakdown, transported to mitochondria for further processing.
  • Cytoplasm
    Cellular region outside mitochondria where glycolysis exclusively occurs, enabling energy production without oxygen.
  • Mitochondria
    Organelle where subsequent stages of cellular respiration occur after glycolysis, receiving pyruvate for further breakdown.
  • Energy Investment Phase
    First glycolytic stage requiring two ATP molecules to initiate glucose breakdown, ending with G3P formation.
  • Energy Harvest Phase
    Second glycolytic stage generating four ATP and two NADH molecules, resulting in a net energy gain.
  • ATP
    Primary energy currency of the cell, consumed and produced during glycolysis, with a net gain of two per glucose.
  • NADH
    Electron carrier molecule produced during glycolysis, essential for transferring high-energy electrons to later respiration stages.
  • Glyceraldehyde 3 Phosphate
    Three-carbon intermediate formed at the end of the energy investment phase, bridging the two glycolytic phases.
  • Aerobic Cellular Respiration
    Metabolic pathway using oxygen, with glycolysis as its first step, followed by mitochondrial processes.
  • Mitochondrial Matrix
    Innermost compartment of mitochondria where pyruvate enters for subsequent energy-yielding reactions.
  • Electron Carrier
    Molecule such as NADH that shuttles electrons between metabolic pathways, crucial for cellular energy extraction.
  • Carbon Dioxide
    Final product of glucose carbon atoms after complete cellular respiration, ultimately exhaled from the organism.
  • Anaerobic Process
    Metabolic pathway, like glycolysis, capable of proceeding without oxygen, distinguishing it from other respiration stages.