How do we get energy by
eating sugar?
By Gabby Lloyd & Laura Azzarello
What is Glycolysis?
 Definition: The breakdown of glucose by
enzymes, releasing energy and pyruvic acid.
Glucose (from the food you eat) travels in
the blood through your arteries, enters a cell along the
way, and then glycolysis occurs turning glucose into
pyruvic acid + energy for your cell.
Products of Glycolysis
Formula
Full Name
Nomenclature
C6H12O6
Glucose
Covalent
ATP
Adenosine
Triphosphate
Covalent
ADP
Adenosine
Diphosphate
Covalent
Pi
Inorganic
Phosphates
High Energy
Phosphate Bond
NAD+
Nicotinamide
adenine
dinucleotide
Compound
= glucose + 2ATP + 4ADP + 2Pi +2NAD+
What is glucose?
Glucose :
Equation: C6H12O6
It is a simple form of sugar from plants, it is absorbed directly into the
bloodstream along with fructose and galactose.
Our cells use it as an important from of energy
It is a main product in photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Reactants of Glycolysis
Formula
Full Name
Nomenclature
CH3COCOOH
Pyruvic Acid
Covalent
ADP
Adenosine
Diphosphate
Covalent
ATP
Adenosine
Triphosphate
Covalent
NADH
Nicotinamide
adenine
dinucleotide
Compound
H
Hydrogen
Atomic
H20
Water
Covalent
= 2pyruvic acid + 2ADP + 4ATP + 2NADH + 2H+ +2H2O
What is pyruvic acid?
Pyruvic Acid
Equation: CH3COCOOH
What is created from glucose after the process of glycolysis
It is an organic acid formed
It supplies energy to cells through the kerbs cycle
Chemical Equation
Glycolysis :
C6H12O6 + 2ATP + 4ADP + 2Pi +2NAD+ 
CH3COCOOH + 2ADP + 4ATP + 2NADH + 2H+ +2H2O
Skeleton Equation:
Glucose + Adenosine Triphosphate + Adenosine Diphosphate
+ inorganic phosphates + Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 
Glucose + Adenosine Diphosphate + Adenosine Triphosphate +
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + Hydrogen + Water
10 steps of Glycolysis
For each step there is a different type of reaction
Some examples of chemical reactions we see are:






Phosphate Ester Synthesis
Isomerization
Oxidation
Hydrolysis of Phosphate; Synthesis of ATP
Alcohol Dehydration
Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis; Synthesis of ATP
Phosphate Ester Synthesis
Step 1:
Glycolysis starts when a glucose molecule Attaches itself to an ATP molecule,
forming Glucose-6phosphate.
This destabilizes the glucose so it can not resist from future changes.
Isomerization
Step 2:
Glucose 6-phosphate is reorganized to form Fructose 6-phosphate.
Phosphate Ester Synthesis
Step 3:
Then another phosphate group attaches itself as well, to form Fructose 1,6-diphosphate.
This occurs also to destabilize the glucose molecule.
Split Molecule in half
Step 4:
Fructose 1,6-diphosphate is split into dihydroxyacetone phosphate
and glyceraldehyde phosphate
Isomerization
Step 5:
Glyceraldehydes phosphate will be consumed in the following steps there for step 5
is a continuous reaction where dihydroxyacetone phosphate is converted to
glyceraldehyde phosphate as needed by the cell.
Oxidation/Phosphate Ester Synthesis
Step 6:
Hydrogen atoms accompanied by their electrons are removed from the glyceraldehyde
phosphate molecules - a process known as oxidation.
The two hydrogen atoms and electrons reduce NAD+ to NADH which then carries the
electrons in an electron transport chain. In addition,
a phosphate group is attached to the 1 position of the molecule forming two
molecules of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate
Hydrolysis of Phosphate; Synthesis
of ATP
Step 7:
The phosphate added to the first molecule is removed and added to the ADP
molecule in order to form the ATP molecule.
There are now 2 molecules that are involved. The remaining molecules at the end of
this step are 3-phosphoglyceric acid molecules.
Isomerization
Step 8:
The phosphate group that was previously in the third position is placed in
the second position with the aid of an enzyme
Alcohol Dehydration
Step 9:
A water molecule is removed from the structure leaving phosphoenolpyruvic acid.
As can be seen in the picture, the removal of the water causes the energy of the
molecule to now be situated in the center instead of the outside.
Phosphate Ester
Hydrolysis; Synthesis of ATP
Step 10:
The remaining phosphate group is
attached to an ADP forming a ATP
molecule similar to step 7.
Therefore, the net gain of glycolysis is
two ATP molecules per molecule of
glucose.
Two molecules of pyruvic acid are the
remaining products of the complex
process of glycolysis.
Scientific Community
Gustav Embden
Otto Meyerhof
Jakub Parnas
These 3 scientist each played a role in the formation and understanding of glycolysis.
Questions?
Thank you!