glycolysis
Americannoun
noun
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The process in cell metabolism by which carbohydrates and sugars, especially glucose, are broken down, producing ATP and pyruvic acid.
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See more at cellular respiration
Etymology
Origin of glycolysis
Compare meaning
How does glycolysis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Glycolysis is a series of chemical reactions that happen inside a cell. During glycolysis, a molecule of glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. In certain cells, energy is obtained from glucose through glycolysis, which breaks the sugar into two pieces that can be used for cellular respiration. Almost every living organism has cells that undergo glycolysis, even the ones that don't use oxygen. Scientists' understanding of this process started with the 19th-century wine industry's quest to learn why some wines ferment into alcohol and others turn bitter. The word glycolysis was coined in 1891, from glyco-, "sugar," and -lysis, "dissolving."
Vocabulary lists containing glycolysis
Cell Biology - High School
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STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
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Biochemistry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cancer cells are known to alter their metabolism, relying heavily on aerobic glycolysis to rapidly generate energy.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 2, 2026
"This is an odd adaptation but allows them to perform anaerobic glycolysis," Hadj-Moussa explained.
From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2025
The reactivation of melanin synthesis forces the melanoma cell to reduce glycolysis, the process of converting sugar to energy, which is believed to be the mechanism for its anti-cancer effect.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
If glycolysis is interrupted, these cells would eventually die.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013
But even bacteria do anaerobic glycolysis, which is why apples rot: lunchtime for the microbes.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
