BRAINCAKERespiration in the Cytoplasm
The first stage of respiration, glycolysis, happens in the cytoplasm of the cell, outside the mitochondria. The enzymes that catalyse its steps are dissolved in the cytoplasm, and glucose that enters the cell is broken down there.
Glycolysis does not need oxygen. It is therefore the one stage shared by aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and it is found in almost all living organisms, which suggests it evolved very early. Its end product is pyruvate, a 3-carbon molecule, along with a small net gain of ATP (2 per glucose) and reduced NAD.
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Key terms in this lesson
- nad
- A coenzyme (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) that acts as a hydrogen acceptor in respiration, becoming reduced when it accepts hydrogen from a substrate.
More in Cellular Respiration
- Cellular Respiration
- ATP
- Aerobic Respiration
- Mitochondria
- Hydrogen Acceptors
- Investigating the Rate of Respiration
- Investigating the Site of ATP Synthesis
- Glycolysis
All 20 lessons in Cellular Respiration · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics