Which of the following is a key result of glycolysis?

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway that occurs in the cytoplasm of cells, where glucose is broken down to produce energy. The key result of glycolysis is the production of pyruvic acid (pyruvate). During this ten-step process, one molecule of glucose (which contains six carbon atoms) is converted into two molecules of pyruvate (three carbon atoms each).

This transformation is significant as pyruvate serves as a critical intermediate in cellular respiration, linking glycolysis to subsequent metabolic pathways. In aerobic conditions, pyruvate can enter the mitochondria and be further oxidized in the citric acid cycle, leading to the production of ATP and other energy carriers. In anaerobic conditions, pyruvate can be converted into lactic acid or ethanol, depending on the organism.

While the conversion of glucose to fats, release of fatty acids, and storage of glucose are important metabolic processes, they are not direct outcomes of glycolysis itself. Instead, they are part of other pathways that utilize the products of glycolysis, such as excess glucose being stored as glycogen or converted to fatty acids via lipogenesis.