Glycolysis

 

The words glycolysis and lysis, which mean "dissolution" and "sweet" or "sugar," are Greek in origin. It is a common channel found in all living cells.

The Embden-Meyerhof pathway, or E.M. pathway, is the name given to this pathway in honour of the two biochemists who made significant contributions to our understanding of glycolysis.

The series of events that convert glucose (or glycogen) to pyruvate or lactate while producing ATP (energy) is known as glycolysis.

Some important fates of glucose

Glycolysis is a two-stage process

Important Points:

1. Every cell in the body engages in glycolysis. The cell contains the enzymes involved in this pathway.

2. Anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with oxygen) glycolysis can take place. The last result under anaerobic conditions is lactate. Pyruvate is produced in the aerobic state and then oxidised to produce CO2 and H2O.

3. In tissues without mitochondria, such as erythrocytes, corneas, lenses, etc., glycolysis is a key route for the creation of ATP (energy).

4. The brain, which uses glucose as fuel, depends heavily on glycolysis. Before being oxidised to produce CO2 and H2O, glucose in the brain must first go through glycolysis.

5. A major metabolic process that serves as a branch point for numerous other pathways is glycolysis. As a result, the synthesis of fat and amino acids benefits from the glycolysis intermediates.

6. Glycolysis can be reversed, and new configurations at the irreversible stages will lead to the production of glucose (gluconeogenesis).  

            Reactions of glycolysis

            The pathway can be divided into three distinct phases

            A. Energy investment phase or priming stage

            B. Splitting phase

            C. Energy generation phase

 Glycolysis Pathway