10 Steps of Glycolysis

10 Steps of Glycolysis Glycolysis literally means splitting sugars and is the process of releasing energy within sugars. In glycolysis, glucose (a six-carbon sugar) is split into two molecules of the three-carbon sugar pyruvate. This multistep process yields two molecules of ATP (free energy containing molecule), two molecules of pyruvate, and two high energy electron carrying molecules of NADH. Key Takeaways: Glycolysis Glycolysis is the process of breaking down glucose into two molecules of pyruvate. It produces ATP and is the first stage of cellular respiration. Glycolysis can occur with or without oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration. In the absence of oxygen, glycolysis allows cells to make small amounts of ATP through the process of fermentation. Glycolysis takes place in the cytosol of the cells cytoplasm. However, the next stage of cellular respiration, known as the citric acid cycle, occurs in the matrix of cell mitochondria. Below are the 10 steps of glycolysis. Step 1 The enzyme hexokinase phosphorylates - adds a phosphate group to - glucose in the cells cytoplasm. In the process, a phosphate group from ATP is transferred to glucose producing glucose 6-phosphate. The equation is: Glucose (CStep 2 The enzyme phosphoglucoisomerase converts glucose 6-phosphate into its isomer fructose 6-phosphate. Isomers have the same molecular formula, but the atoms of each molecule are arranged differently. The equation for this step is: Glucose 6-phosphate (CStep 3 The enzyme phosphofructokinase uses another ATP molecule to transfer a phosphate group to fructose 6-phosphate to form fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate. The equation is: Fructose 6-phosphate (CStep 4 The enzyme aldolase splits fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate into two sugars that are isomers of each other. These two sugars are dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde phosphate. The equation is: Fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate (CStep 5 The enzyme triose phosphate isomerase rapidly inter-converts the molecules dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is removed as soon as it is formed to be used in the next step of glycolysis. The two equations for this step are: Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (CNet result for step Nos. 4 and 5: Step 6 The enzyme triose phosphate dehydrogenase serves two functions in this step. First, the enzyme transfers a hydrogen (H-) from glyceraldehyde phosphate to the oxidizing agent nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to form NADH. Next, triose phosphate dehydrogenase adds a phosphate (P) from the cytosol to the oxidized glyceraldehyde phosphate to form 1, 3-bisphosphoglycerate. This occurs for both molecules of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate produced in step 5. The two equations for this step are: A. Triose phosphate dehydrogenase + 2 HB. Triose phosphate dehydrogenase + 2 P + 2 glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (CStep 7 The enzyme phosphoglycerokinase transfers a P from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to a molecule of ADP to form ATP. This happens for each molecule of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate. The process yields two 3-phosphoglycerate molecules and two ATP molecules. The equation is: 2 molecules of 1,3-bisphoshoglycerate (CStep 8 The enzyme phosphoglyceromutase relocates the P from 3-phosphoglycerate from the third carbon to the second carbon to form 2-phosphoglycerate. The equation is: 2 molecules of 3-Phosphoglycerate (CStep 9 The enzyme enolase removes a molecule of water from 2-phosphoglycerate to form phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). This happens for each molecule of 2-phosphoglycerate. The equation is: 2 molecules of 2-Phosphoglycerate (CStep 10 The enzyme pyruvate kinase transfers a P from PEP to ADP to form pyruvate and ATP. This happens for each molecule of phosphoenolpyruvate. This reaction yields two molecules of pyruvate and two ATP molecules. The equation is: 2 molecules of phosphoenolpyruvate (CEnd Result MediaForMedica l /UIG / Getty Images A single glucose molecule in glycolysis produces a total of two molecules of pyruvate, two molecules of ATP, two molecules of NADH, and two molecules of water. Although two ATP molecules are used in step Nos. 1 through 3, two ATP molecules are generated in step No. 7 and two more in step No. 10. This gives a total of four ATP molecules produced. If you subtract the two ATP molecules used in step Nos. 1 through 3 from the four generated at the end of step No. 10, you end up with a net total of two ATP molecules produced.