Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam Practice 2025 – Comprehensive Prep

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway that occurs in the cytoplasm of cells, where one molecule of glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. This process is the initial stage of cellular respiration, which ultimately leads to the production of energy in the form of ATP. During glycolysis, glucose undergoes a series of enzymatic reactions that involve energy investment and payoff phases.

While glycolysis does also produce ATP and NADH, the key product that is consistently formed from a single glucose molecule is the generation of two molecules of pyruvate. This pyruvate can then enter the mitochondria for further processing in aerobic respiration or be converted to lactate in anaerobic conditions. The production of pyruvate is crucial because it represents the end product upon which further metabolic processes depend.

Understanding the primary outcome of glycolysis is essential for grasping the broader context of metabolic pathways, including the transition from glycolysis to the citric acid cycle, which involves the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl CoA.