Question

Fill in the blank
The net result of one glucose molecule is formation of ____ NADH and ____ ATP.

Answer 1

Glycolysis is the process of formation of two molecules of pyruvate between which the ATP and NADH molecules are synthesized in various steps of the pathway.

Complete answer:
-Initially the one glucose molecule is converted into glucose 6 phosphate having 6 atoms of carbon using one molecule of ATP. Then it is converted into fructose 6 phosphate having 6 carbon atoms. Fructose 6 phosphate is then converted into 1, 6 bisphosphate molecules having 6 carbon atoms again using one molecule of ATP.
-This molecule is then converted into two molecules of triose phosphate having 3 carbon in each molecule.
-Triose phosphate is then converted into triose bisphosphate of two molecules releasing two molecules of NADH.
-Triose bisphosphate is then converted into two molecules of triose that is 3 phosphoglyceric acids having 3 carbon atoms in each molecule along with this releasing 2 molecules of ATP.
-Then formation of two molecules of 2-phosphoglycerate takes place which is then converted into 2 molecules of phosphoenolpyruvate with releasing two molecules of water.
-This molecule is converted into two molecules of pyruvic acid of 3 carbon in each molecule along with it releasing two molecules of ATP.
-Hence the total ATP formation occurred is 10 ATP total = 2× 2 ATP and NADH = 2× 3 ATP
-Hence total formation is 10
-The two molecules of ATP used are subtracted getting 8 molecules in total which is called net gain.
So, the correct answer is 2 NADH and 4 ATP.

Note: The one molecule of glucose in glycolysis form 2 molecules of pyruvate which suggests two molecules of NADH is formed in the midway of the pathway and in the last 4 molecules of ATP are formed.