The freeenergy for the oxidation of glucose to CO2
and water is -686kcal/mole and the free energy for thereduction of
NAD+ to NADH is+53 kcal/mole. Why are only two molecules of NADH
formed duringglycolysis when it appears that as many as a dozen
could beformed?
a. Mostof the free energy available from the
oxidation of glucose is usedin the productionof ATP in
glycolysis.
b. Glycolysis is a very inefficient reaction, with much of
theenergy of glucose released as heat.c. Most of the free
energyavailable from the oxidation of glucose remains in pyruvate,
one ofthe products of glycolysis.
d. Thereis no CO2 or water produced as products
of glycolysis.e. Glycolysisconsists of many enzymatic reactions,
each of which extracts someenergy from the glucose molecule.