Describe and explain the process of glycolysis

There are 4 main stages in the process of respiration: glycolysis, link reaction, Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. In glycolysis one glucose molecule is broken down into 2 molecules of pyruvate and you have a net gain of 2ATP molecules and 2NADH molecules. The equation for this process to help you remember it is: glucose --> hexose bisphosphate --> 2 triose bisphosphate --> 2 pyruvate. When glucose in converted to hexose bisphosphate 2ATP molecules are required and converted to 2ADP and 2Pi (this is called phosphorylation). When triose phosphate is converted to the pyruvate 4ADP and 4Pi molecules are converted to 4ATP and 2NAD+ is converted to 2NADH and 2H+ (this is called oxidation). Hence the net result of glycolysis is 2 pyruvate, 2 NADH and 2 ATP Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm which is important because the products need to be transported into the mitochondria for the following stages of respiration and this requires ATP.