Glycolysis
Glycolysis literally means glucose breakdown or decomposition. Through the process of
glycolysis, one glucose molecule is completely broken down to yield two molecules of pyruvic
acid, two molecules of ATP and two NADH (Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
radicals carrying electrons are produced. It took years of painstaking research in biochemistry
which revealed the glycolysis steps that make cellular respiration possible. Here is are the
various glycolysis steps presented in the order of occurrence beginning with glucose as the main
raw material. The whole process of glycolysis involves ten steps with a product forming at every
stage and every stage regulated by a different enzyme. The production of various compounds at
every step offer different entry points into the process of glycolysis. That means, a glycolysis
process may directly start from an intermediate stage if the compound that is the reactant at that
stage is directly made available. So let us begin with the first glycolysis step.
Step 1: Phosphorylation of Glucose
The first of glycolysis steps is the phosphorylation of glucose (adding of a phosphate group).
This reaction is made possible by the enzyme hexokinase, which separates one phosphate group
out of ATP (Adenosine Triphsophate) and adds it to glucose, transforming it to glucose 6-
phosphate. In the process one ATP molecule, which is the energy currency of the body, is used
up and gets transformed to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate), due to the separation of one
phosphate group. The entire reaction can be summarized as follows:
Glucose (C6H12O6) + ATP + Hexokinase → Glucose 6-Phosphate (C6H11O6P1) + ADP
Step 2: Production of Fructose-6 Phosphate
The second of glycolysis steps is the production of fructose 6-phosphate. It is made possible by
the action of the enzyme phosphoglucoisomerase. It acts on the product of the earlier step,
glucose 6-phosphate and transforms it into fructose 6-phosphate which is its isomer (Isomers are
different molecules with the same molecular formula but different arrangement of atoms). The
entire reaction is summarized as follows:
Glucose 6-Phosphate (C6H11O6P1) + Phosphoglucoisomerase (Enzyme) → Fructose 6-Phosphate
(C6H11O6P1)
Step 3: Production of Fructose 1, 6-Diphosphate
In the next step of glycolysis the isomer Fructose 6-Phosphate is converted to fructose 1, 6-
diphosphate by the addition of another phosphate group. This conversion is made possible by the
enzyme phosphofructokinase which utilizes one more ATP molecule in the process. The reaction
is summarized as follows:
Fructose 6-Phosphate (C6H11O6P1) + phosphofructokinase (Enzyme) + ATP → Fructose 1, 6-
diphosphate (C6H10O6P2)
Step 4: Splitting of Fructose 1, 6-Diphosphate
In the fourth of glycolysis steps, the enzyme adolase brings about the splitting of Fructose 1, 6-
diphosphate
into two different sugar molecules that are both isomers of each other. The two sugars formed
are glyceraldehyde phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. The reaction goes as follows:
Fructose 1, 6-diphosphate (C6H10O6P2) + Aldolase (Enzyme) → Glyceraldehyde Phosphate
(C3H5O3P1) + Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (C3H5O3P1)
Step 5: Interconversion of the Two Sugars
Dihydroxyacetone phosphate is a short lived molecule. As soon as it is created, it gets converted
into Glyceraldehyde phosphate by the enzyme called triose phosphate. So in totality, the fourth
and fifth steps of glycolysis yield two molecules of Glyceraldehyde phosphate.
Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (C3H5O3P1) + Triose Phosphate → Glyceraldehyde phosphate
(C3H5O3P1)
Step 6: Formation of NADH & 1,3-Diphoshoglyceric acid
The sixth of glycolysis steps involves two important reactions. First is the formation of NADH
from NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) by the use of enzyme triose phosphate
dehydrogenase and second is the creation of 1,3-diphoshoglyceric acid from the two
glyceraldehyde phosphate molecules produced in the earlier step. The two reaction are as
follows:
Triose phosphate dehydrogenase (Enzyme) + 2 NAD+ + 2 H- → 2NADH (Reduced Nicotinamide
Adenine Dinucleotide) + 2 H+
Triose phosphate dehydrogenase + 2 Glyceraldehyde phosphate (C3H5O3P1) + 2P (from
cytoplasm) → 2 molecules of 1,3-diphoshoglyceric acid (C3H4O4P2)
Step 7: Production of ATP & 3-Phosphoglyceric Acid
The seventh of glycolysis steps involves the creation of 2 ATP molecules along with two
molecules of 3-phosphoglyceric acid from reaction of phosphoglycerokinase on the two product
molecules of 1,3-diphoshoglyceric acid, yielded from the previous step.
2 molecules of 1,3-diphoshoglyceric acid (C3H4O4P2) + 2ADP + phosphoglycerokinase → 2
molecules of 3-Phosphoglyceric acid (C3H5O4P1) + 2ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
Step 8: Relocation of Phosphorus Atom
Step eight is a very subtle rearrangement reaction in which involves the relocation of the
Phosphorus atom in in 3-phosphoglyceric acid from the third carbon in the chain to the second
carbon and creates 2- phosphoglyceric acid. The entire reaction is summarized as follows:
2 molecules of 3-Phosphoglyceric acid (C3H5O4P1) + phosphoglyceromutase (enzyme) → 2
molecules of 2-Phosphoglyceric acid (C3H5O4P1)
Step 9: Removal of Water
In the second last of glycolysis steps, the enzyme enolase comes into play and removes a water
molecule from 2-phosphoglyceric acid to form another acid called phosphoenolpyruvic acid
(PEP). This reaction converts both the molecules of 2-Phosphoglyceric acid that form in the
previous step.
2 molecules of 2-Phosphoglyceric acid (C3H5O4P1) + Enolase (Enzyme) –> 2 molecules of
phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP) (C3H3O3P1) + 2 H2O
Step 10: Creation of Pyruvic Acid & ATP
The last of glycolysis steps involves the creation of two ATP molecules along with two
molecules of pyruvic acid from the action of the enzyme pyruvate kinase on the two molecules
of phosphoenolpyruvic acid produced in the previous step. This is made possible by the transfer
of a Phosphorus atom from phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP) to ADP (Adenosine triphosphate).
2 molecules of phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP) (C3H3O3P1) + 2ADP + Pyruvate kinase (Enzyme)
→ 2ATP + 2 molecules of pyruvic acid.
As you can see, glycolysis steps mostly involve the manipulation of the phosphate group and
then the phosphorus atom which is made possible by the various enzymes in the cytoplasm.
Enzymes are like catalysts which make a reaction possible and then disengage.
