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
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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.
Glycolysis takes place in anaerobic conditions, can metabolize cholesterol and fatty acids, and occurs even in methanogens.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Glycolysis is present in nearly all organisms because it is an advanced and recently evolved pathway that has been widely used as it is so beneficial.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Glycolysis begins with the six carbon ring-shaped structure of a single glucose molecule and ends with two molecules of a three-carbon sugar called pyruvate.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Glycolysis is the first pathway used in the breakdown of glucose to extract free energy.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Glycolysis is the first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy for cell metabolism.
From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013
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.
