Up Learn – A Level Biology (AQA) – Respiration

Glycolysis: Production of Glucose Phosphate

Glycolysis begins with ‘phosphorylation’, a process that results in glucose phosphate.
This is then converted into triose phosphate and, from there, pyruvate.

More videos on Respiration:

Glycolysis: Production of Glucose Phosphate

Glycolysis: From Glucose Phosphate to Pyruvate

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Up Learn – A Level Biology (AQA)

Respiration

1. Introduction to Glycolysis
2. Overview of Glycolysis
3. Production of Glucose Phosphate
4. From Glucose Phosphate to Pyruvate
5. Why Are Phosphate Groups Added?
6. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions Involving Hydrogen
7. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions in Glycolysis
8. Oxidation and Reduction Reactions in Chemistry
1. Introduction to Aerobic Respiration I
2. The Link Reaction Overview
3. A More Detailed Look at the Link Reaction
4. The Krebs Cycle
5. Why is Coenzyme A added?
6. Substrate-Level Phosphorylation
7. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions in the Krebs Cycle
8. Triglycerides in Respiration
9. Amino Acids in Respiration
10. Aerobic Respiration So Far
1. Introduction to Aerobic Respiration II
2. ATP Synthase and Chemiosmosis
3. How Is The Proton Gradient Maintained?
4. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions and Electrons
5. The Electron Transfer Chain
6. The Final Electron Acceptor
7. The Importance of Reduced NAD and Reduced FAD
8. A Closer Look at NAD
9. Oxidative Phosphorylation
10. How Mitochondria Are Adapted For Respiration
11. The Entirety of Aerobic Respiration
1. Introduction to Anaerobic Respiration
2. Glycolysis Recap
3. Anaerobic Respiration Overview
4. Lactate vs Lactic Acid
5. Anaerobic Respiration in Animals
6. Anaerobic Respiration in Plants and Microorganisms
7. What Happens to the Products of Anaerobic Respiration?
8. Aerobic Respiration vs Anaerobic Respiration

We’ve seen that during glycolysis, a molecule of glucose is converted into two molecules of pyruvate. 

Now, getting from glucose to pyruvate isn’t actually one simple step…

…in fact, there are  a set of complex reactions involved! 

At A level, these many stages of glycolysis are condensed down into 3 steps

And in this video we’ll focus on the first step, which transforms the glucose molecule into something new. 

So, when glucose enters the cell’s cytoplasm, an enzyme in the cell adds two phosphate groups to it. 

This process of adding phosphate groups to glucose is called phosphorylation

And it results in a new molecule called glucose phosphate. 

So, the first stage of glycolysis is phosphorylation, which turns the glucose molecule in the cytoplasm into glucose phosphate! 

Next, these phosphate groups are available due to the breakdown of 2 ATP molecules:

Each ATP molecule donates one phosphate to the glucose, and the loss of phosphate turns the ATP molecules into ADP.

Now, this might seem a bit strange, since the whole point of respiration is to make ATP…

But don’t worry! 

By breaking down two ATP molecules here, during glycolysis, we’re setting up what we need in order to produce a ton more ATP molecules after glycolysis! 

To sum up, when glucose enters the cell’s cytoplasm…

When glucose enters a cell’s cytoplasm, an enzyme adds two phosphate groups to it…

Producing a new molecule called glucose phosphate.

These phosphate groups are available due to…

These phosphate groups are available due to the breakdown of 2 ATP molecules