glycolysis

/glaɪˈkɒləsɪs/

Glycolysis is a series of chemical reactions that happen inside a cell. During glycolysis, a molecule of glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate.

In certain cells, energy is obtained from glucose through glycolysis, which breaks the sugar into two pieces that can be used for cellular respiration. Almost every living organism has cells that undergo glycolysis, even the ones that don't use oxygen. Scientists' understanding of this process started with the 19th-century wine industry's quest to learn why some wines ferment into alcohol and others turn bitter. The word glycolysis was coined in 1891, from glyco-, "sugar," and -lysis, "dissolving."

Definitions of glycolysis

1. noun

   a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and releases energy for the body in the form of ATP
   type of:

   metabolic process, metabolism

   the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life