How does glycolysis relate to photosynthesis and/or cellular respiration?
Glycolysis is part of cellular respiration Glycolysis is the first step in cellular respiration and all cells regardless of the type of cellular respiration they do are able to carry out glycolysis. Because of this we believe that glycolysis probably arose very early in the evolution of life on the planet. In glycolysis glucose is partially oxidized and broken down into two 3 carbon molecules called pyruvate or pyruvic acid. In the process, glycolysis produced 4 ATP for a net gain of two ATP and two molecules of NADH. Each NADH is carrying two energy rich electrons away from the glucose and these electrons can be used by the cell to do work. After glycolysis the pyruvate is processed to harvest 2 more NADH molecules and remove one carbon per pyruvate. The carbon and two oxygens is removed since it no longer has any useful energy. So it is waste. This little step is the source of some of the carbon dioxide we produce. Note that glycolysis itself is anaerobic, in that oxygen is not requi
