Glycolosis

Question 1

What is glycolysis and where does it take place?

Answer 1

Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm
It is the conversion of one molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate

Question 2

Describe briefly the stages of glycolysis

Answer 2

Stage 1: Conversion of glucose to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate

Stage 2: Conversion of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to dihydroxylacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate

Stage 3: Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to pyruvate

Question 3

What happens in stage one, what’s the product and what enzyme is used?

Answer 3

Glucose enters the cell and a phosphate group is added.
This reaction is irreversible.
The enzyme used is Hexokinase and the product is glucose-6-phosphate

Question 4

What is the most important enzyme in glycolysis and what is it used for and why is it important

Answer 4

The most important enzyme is phosphofructokinase
It is used by fructose-6-phosphate to generate fructose-1,6-biphosphate ( this is an irreversible reaction)
It is important as at plays a central role in controlling the rate of glycolysis

Question 5

What happens once fructose-1,6-bisphosphate has been generated?

Answer 5

It uses the enzyme aldose to cleave into two 3 carbon molecules
Dihydroxylacetone phosphate and Glyceraldehyde 3, phosphate

Question 6

What is the final important step in glycolysis and what happens

Answer 6

The final important step is when phosphenolpyruvate uses the enzyme pyruvate kinase to generate pyruvate
ATP is also generated

Question 7

What is the overall net gain of ATP

Answer 7

2

Question 8

What is the final product of glycolysis and what can it be turned into?

Answer 8

Pyruvate
Acetaldehyde: ethanol
Lactate
Acetyl CoA which is further oxidised