Can a cell produce enough ATP to persist by using glycolysis alone? Why or why not?

Question

Lydia Adams · Accepted Answer

Yes!

There is a category of bacteria called obligate anaerobes . These are bacteria which are actually poisoned by oxygen.

They generate all of the energy they need using glycolysis. The pyruvate formed in glycolysis is not broken down by the Kreb's cycle and electron transport chain. The pyruvate is broken down using fermentation pathways such as lactic acid fermentation.

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Anaerobic respiration only produces 2 ATP molecules for every glucose molecule, that is definitely less than the 36-38 ATP produced by aerobic cellular respiration , but cells can survive on this.

This video provides more information about cellular respiration.

Hope this helps!

Benjamin Alvin · Answer

undefined Yes, a cell can produce enough ATP to persist by using glycolysis alone, but only for a limited time. Glycolysis produces a net gain of 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, which is enough to sustain some cellular functions. However, glycolysis alone is not sufficient for long-term energy production because it does not fully extract the energy stored in glucose.