metabolic pathway

• Glycolysis


  1. Breaks down glucose into pyruvate

  2. Generates ATP and NADH
• Glucose


  A six-carbon sugar and the primary source of energy in cells
• Hexokinase


  An enzyme that phosphorylates glucose, trapping it inside the cell
• ATP


  Adenosine triphosphate, the main energy currency of cells
• Phosphoglucose isomerase


  An enzyme that converts glucose-6-phosphate into fructose-6-phosphate
• Phosphofructokinase-1


  An enzyme that phosphorylates fructose-6-phosphate, committing it to glycolysis
• Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate


  A molecule formed by the phosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate, which undergoes further metabolism in glycolysis
• Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P)


  Intermediates formed by the cleavage of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate
• Triose phosphate isomerase


  An enzyme that interconverts DHAP and G3P
• NADH


  Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a high-energy electron carrier
• Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase


  An enzyme that oxidizes G3P, generating NADH
• 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate


  A molecule formed during the energy extraction step of glycolysis
• Phosphoglycerate kinase


  An enzyme that converts 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate into 3-phosphoglycerate, generating ATP
• Phosphoglycerate mutase


  An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 3-phosphoglycerate to 2-phosphoglycerate
• Enolase


  An enzyme that catalyzes the dehydration of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate
• Pyruvate kinase


  An enzyme that converts phosphoenolpyruvate into pyruvate, generating ATP
• Citric acid cycle


  Also known as the Krebs cycle or TCA cycle, it is a series of chemical reactions that occur in the mitochondria to generate energy from acetyl-CoA
• Acetyl-CoA


  A two-carbon molecule that enters the citric acid cycle
• Oxaloacetate


  A four-carbon molecule that combines with acetyl-CoA to start the citric acid cycle
• Isocitrate


  An isomer of citrate formed during the citric acid cycle
• Alpha-ketoglutarate


  A five-carbon molecule formed by the oxidation of isocitrate
• Succinyl-CoA


  A four-carbon molecule formed during the citric acid cycle, which generates ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation
• Succinate


  A four-carbon molecule formed from succinyl-CoA
• Fumarate


  A four-carbon molecule formed by the oxidation of succinate
• Malate


  A four-carbon molecule formed by the hydration of fumarate
• NADH and FADH2


  High-energy electron carriers that are produced during the citric acid cycle and play a crucial role in oxidative phosphorylation
• Anaerobic respiration


  The process of producing energy from glucose in the absence of oxygen
• Fermentation


  The metabolic process that converts pyruvate into other compounds, producing energy in the absence of oxygen
• Glycolysis


  The initial step of cellular respiration, where glucose is broken down into pyruvate
• Pyruvate


  A three-carbon molecule formed during glycolysis
• Pyruvate decarboxylation


  The conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA, releasing carbon dioxide
• Lactic acid fermentation


  A type of fermentation where pyruvate is converted into lactate
• Alcoholic fermentation


  A type of fermentation where pyruvate is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide
• Electron transport chain


  A series of protein complexes embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane that transfer electrons from NADH and FADH2 to oxygen, generating ATP
• Proton pumping


  The movement of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane during electron transport, creating an electrochemical gradient
• ATP synthesis


  The process of generating ATP using the energy from the electrochemical gradient
• Oxidative phosphorylation


  The synthesis of ATP through the coupling of electron transport and ATP synthesis
• Oxygen


  The final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain, combining with protons to form water
• Every cell in the body is furiously producing energy all the time
• Energy comes from the sun, which releases energy through nuclear fusion reactions