Glycolysis Pathway

Glycolysis pathway is a common metabolic pathway in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It takes place in the cytosol in eukaryotic cells. By converting glucose into two molecule of the three‐carbon compound pyruvate and generating two ATPs, glycolysis pathway generates the ATP needed for energy‐requiring processes and the pyruvate needed for the complete oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide and water. For cells lack of mitochondria such as red blood cells, the glycolysis is the only energy source of ATP. For cells containing mitochondria, glycolysis serves as a preparatory pathway for the complete oxidation of glucose to generate larger amounts of ATP. This pathway often serves as a main energy source for cancer cell. Hence, glycolysis pathway is being extensively studied in cancer research, by analyzing the glycolytic enzymes expression level and monitoring the amount of metabolites.