Introduction to Glycolysis

The animation shows the overall transformation of glucose in anaerobic glycolysis.

• Anaerobic glycolysis takes a six carbon sugar (glucose), splits it into two molecules of three carbon sugar (glyceradehyde) and then rearranges the atoms (to lactate).
• The rearrangement of atoms provides energy to make ATP which is the principle energy 'currency' in the cell.
• You can see that there is an overall conservation of atoms in this process. There are six carbon, six oxygen and twelve hydrogen atoms at start and finish.

Please note that in this animation glucose is represented in its open chain form. You may be more familiar with diagrams of glucose in its ring form. In crystals of glucose 100% of the molecules are in the ring form but in solution glucose transforms back and forth between the open chain and ring forms in equilibrium. In graphics and models the open chain form is better for showing the amount of oxidation of the six atoms.