Name__________________________
Period_________________________
Generating Glycolysis Work Sheet
Introduction: Glycolysis is one of the steps in the process by which organism breakdown food
into energy. Glycolysis takes glucose (a six carbon sugar molecule) and breaks it down into two
Pyruvic acid molecules (a three carbon sugar molecule). In Glycolysis like many other organic
processes, the cell must input energy into the system before it can get an increased amount of
energy back. Organisms which possess mitochondria follow up Glycolysis with the Krebs cycle to
further increase energy production [The Krebs cycle will be discussed later on in the semester].
ATP and NADH function as high energy molecules which store energy for cellular use.
Activity: Step 1: Construct one Glucose molecule, two NAD+ molecules, two nonattached
phosphate molecules, two ATP molecules, and two ADP molecules. The Glucose molecule is 6 small
marshmallows connected by toothpicks. The NAD+ molecules are one-half a sheet of gram cracker.
The inorganic phosphate molecule is a Hershey’s kiss. The ATP molecule is a large marshmallow
and three Hershey’s kisses attached together with a toothpick. The ADP molecule is a large
marshmallow connected to two Hershey’s Kisses with a toothpick. Pyruvic acid molecule is three
small marshmallows connected together with toothpicks.
Step 2: Working with your partner, develop one or more Glycolitic pathways. A Glycolitic pathway
consumes one glucose molecule and produces two Pyruvic acid molecules. Rules for how the
molecules function in the Glycolitic pathway are given below.
Rules for Molecules:
1. ATP becomes ADP by removing a phosphate from itself and adding the phosphate to any
other molecule.
2. ADP becomes ATP by removing a phosphate from a molecule and adding the phosphate to
itself.
3. NAD+ becomes NADH by adding an inorganic phosphate to an already phosphated
molecule.
4. A molecule can only break in half when it is diphospated [has two phosphate molecule
attached to it].
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Questions:
1. Draw the Glycolitic pathway (or write the steps of the pathway) that you and your partner
developed. [4pts]
2. Draw the correct Glycolitic pathway. [2pts]
3. Compare and contrast your pathway (or one of the wrong pathways presented in class) to the
correct pathway? Why might the actual pathway be more energetically efficient for the cell? [6pts]
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What are the two biological purposes of Glycolysis? [1pt]
What is the initial energy input into the system is called? [1pt]
How do animals acquire glucose? How do plants? [1pt]
Compare and contrast ADP and ATP. [1pt]
What are the two high energy molecules that are used in Glycolysis? [1pt]
Questions from the Book/Notes
What is the net production of ATP molecules in Glycolysis? [1pt]
What two molecules are broken down by the body into glucose for Glycolysis? [1pt]
Glycolysis occurs in what area of the cell? [1pt]
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Generating Glycolysis
Matthew D. Schaidle
Intended for a 9th grade freshman biology class.
Objectives: The students should be able to explain why Glycolysis occurs in the cell. They should
be able to describe the Glycolitic pathway, and understand the roles of adenine and NAD+. Students
should be able to demonstrate an understanding of sequencing steps, and show competence in
organizing a logical model for cellular pathways.
Learning Standards: 12.A.1, Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to explain
metabolic processes within cells. 11.A.5, Present and defend process and findings in open forum,
generating further questions, explaining impact of possible sources of error, or reflecting on and
evaluating peer critiques and comparable inquiry investigations for consolidation or refinement of
procedures.
Activity Outline: The students should begin by reading the lab (either at the beginning of class or
as homework the night before). As a class, the teacher should then lead the students through the
proper construction of their molecules. After that the students should work in small groups for 15
minutes to construct a biological pathway for turning glucose into Pyruvic acid through following
the rules laid out in the activity sheet.
The teacher should then lead a class discussion writing out the different pathways that the
students designed. Questions should be asked about which pathway uses all of the molecules,
produces the most energy for the cell, and which pathway would be most useful to the cell and why.
The function of NAD+ and ATP in Glycolysis and in the organism should also be discussed.
If the students have not come up with the correct Glycolitic pathway then they should break back
up into small groups and continue forming pathways until the groups have developed the correct
pathway. [This lab can also be turned into an inquiry based lesson by having the entire class work
on the project in one group and each individual student following along with their individual
materials. At the end of the class, the completed correct Glycolitic pathway should be presented to
the students and a discussion of why this pathway is the one that the cells use should end the
period.
Materials: (per student)
4 large marshmallows
6 small marshmallows
2 pieces of gram cracker
12 Hershey’s kisses
~11 toothpicks
Assessment Strategies: The students should be graded on completion of the student work sheet
which grades them on critical thinking skills and putting together a sequence of events in a logical
order. They should also be graded on their participation in the classroom discussions. Follow up
assessments should be placed in a chapter or unit test where the students should be able to show
competence in describing how the molecules function and what their roles are in Glycolysis. They
should also be able to arrange the steps of Glycolysis in order and be able to explain its two
functions (production of energy and preparing a molecule for the Krebs cycle) as well as use the
rules of the molecules to predict other energetic pathways.
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Rationale for Lesson Strategies: The test questions about describing the function and role of the
molecules in Glycolysis show the students knowledge and comprehension of Glycolysis. The
worksheet questions about developing the Glycolitic pathways works on Bloom’s application level
of questioning. Arranging the steps of Glycolysis and predicting further energetic pathways shows
the students ability to function in the synthesis level. The final question of the worksheet, which
asks them to compare and contrast their pathway with the correct pathway, functions at the
evaluation level of Bloom’s Taxonomy by having them compare two concepts and asses the value of
each theory for cellular function.
Resources:
Price, Clovis Jr. Photosynthesis, Respiration, and the ATP-ADP Cycle. <www.iit.edu/~smile/bi9614.html>
Visited; August, 30th 2008.
Decelles, Paul Dr. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/cellresp/glycolysis.
gif&imgrefurl=http://staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/cellresp/glycolysis.html&h=555&w=425&sz=22&tbnid=1
Qy5a8Fiuo8J::&tbnh=133&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dglycolysis&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&
ct=image&cd=1>
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