Glycolysis, the first stage of the aerobic cell respiration is a process in which glucose is degraded (broken) to form two pyruvic acid molecules along with the formation of two ATP and two NADH.
Glycolysis is a complex reaction implying the formation of several intermediate molecules until pyruvic acid molecules are made. Although two ATP molecules are consumed in the reaction, there is also a production of four molecules of ATP, thus a positive balance of two ATP molecules is obtained. Two NADH molecules are also produced. In glycolysis the 6-carbon structure of glucose is broken and two organic chains of three carbons each are made; these chains give birth to two pyruvic acid molecules.
