Question

1) Why is it called glycolysis? 

2) What is the role of pyruvate in the glycolytic reaction? 

3) How is ADP formed? 

4) What role does NADH play? 

5) Why is ATP important to the cell?

Answer 1

1. glycolysis is the process of breakdown of 6- carbon glucose to 3 – carbon pyruvate molecule which can be used as a source of energy . and also glycose is the old term for ‘glucose’. And lysis means breakdown.

2. pyruvate is produced by glycolysis in the cytoplasm but in the next step pyruvate oxidation occurs in mitochondrial matrix (eukaryotes) and cytoplasm(prokaryotes). Pyruvate is responsible for extraction of energy indirectly by converting into acetyl COA catalyzed by pyruvate dehydrogenase. This process is involved in capturing energy in the form of ATP. In this step , NADH is produced along with a CO2 molecule and acetyl COA. Acetyl COA is used as a fuel for the citric acid cycle in the next stage of cellular respiration.

3. adenosine diphosphate(ADP) is formed by release of inorganic phosphate from ATP ( adenosine triphosphate) and energy is released. ADP can be interconverted back to ATP and can be used again to produce energy.

4. NADH acts as an electron acceptor .when NAD accepts an electron by gain of proton , NADH is produced and acts as an reduced electron carrier.

5. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate which consists of one adenosine group with three phosphate molecules. ATP is known to present in cells of living organisms. Also, it is involved in transporting energy required for all metabolic processes. Without ATP, various metabolic pathways in human cannot take place. In short, ATP is known as unit source of energy in living organisms.