Glycolysis

What is glycolysis?

It is the chemical process of converting glucose into pyrvic acid. Below, there is the chemical equation representing this process.

C6H12O6 + 2 NAD+ + 2 ADP + 2 P -----> 2 pyruvic acid, (CH3(C=O)COOH + 2 ATP + 2 NADH + 2 H+

Later, after it turns into pyruvice acid, it becomes alcohol along with carbon dioxide.

What is pyruvic acid?

The dictionary defines it as: a yellowish organic acid which occurs as an intermediate in many metabolic processes, especially glycolysis. This acid is the simplest of the alpha-keto acids with a carbolyxic acid a ketone functional group.

- The Process of Glycolysis -

(Class I)

Step 1: Hexokinase

This is the inital enzyme of glycolysis. It catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose by ATP by glucose-6. It limits the rate of glycolysis in order for red cells to form.

Step 2: Phosphoglucose Isomerase

Phosphoglucose Isomerase is a dimeric enzyme that catalyses the reversible isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate.

Step 3: Phosphofructokinase

This enzyme control the conversion of fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) into fructose-1,6-biphosphate (F1,6BP) .

Step 4: Aldolase

This enzyme helps convert sugar into energy.

Step 5: Triosephosphate isomerase

This enzyme aides in the of catylizing the reversible interconversion of the triose phosphate isomers dihydroxyacetone phosphate and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.

Step 6: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase

This step breaks down glucose for energy and carbon molecules.

Step 7: Phosphoglycerate Kinase

Catalyzes the reversible transfer of a phosphate group, including 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to ADP which produces 3-phosphoglycerate and ATP.

Step 8: Phosphoglycerate Mutase

This enzyme aides in the conversion of 3-phosphoglycerate to 2-phosphoglycerate.

Step 9: Enolase

This enzyme promotes the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate

Step 10: Pyruvate Kinase

The resulting product of the first class is Pyruvate.

What is phosphorylation?

It is defined as the chemical addition of a phosphoryl group (PO₃^-) to an organic molecule. So essentially, you can think of it as the "p" in the term represents positive, meaning add. Its opposite term is dephosphorylation.

- How this Applies to Our Project -

Glycolysis and Algae

Since we are fermenting our algae with three kinds of sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose), glycolysis was one of the processes we had to research. Because we our algae was in a marine environment, oxygen was present, but not an abundance of it. And as such, the pyruvate underwent a process known as fermentation, and in our case, heterotrophic fermentation. In this process, the NADH+H+ (nicotineamide adenine dinucleotide + hydrogen). Although you may recognise the term "nicotine" from tobacco related information, this is not the same here. In this project, this chemical simply carries and transports electrons, and it is not harmful. This chemical will be repurposed in order for glycolysis to continue.

Page updated

Report abuse