How would you explain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend, using your new biochemistry knowledge.

Carbohydrates are a major food source which energy is derived from. One type of carbohydrates is glucose. When glucose enters our body it undergoes a metabolic pathway called glycolysis, which means breaking glucose apart. Glycolysis is the process that your cells undergoe to breakdown glucose and make energy. One molecule of glucose is broken down at a time which produces two molecules of pyruvic acid. Many oxidation reactions occur during this process and the energy released is used to form ATP. The initial step involves two phosphates which attach to glucose. Then the glucose with a phosphate at each end splits into two three carbon molecules. Then each of the three carbon molecules undergoes through multiple steps to convert into pyruvate. During this step electrons are transferred to the coenzyme NAD+ to form NADH and ATP is formed. In aerobic conditions the pyruvate is oxidized further to make more ATP and under anaerobic conditions the pyruvate is converted into lactic acid. There is 4 ATP’s produced in glycolysis, but only a net gain of 2 ATP’s.

                                   First step in Glycolysis

                                                       (Google)

Second Step in Glycolysis

                                                                           (Google)