Glycolysis: The EMP Pathway Quiz
Glycolysis is the oldest and most universal energy-releasing pathway in the living world. Long before oxygen filled the atmosphere, cells were already splitting sugar to release energy — and the same enzymatic machinery survives in every organism alive today.
This quiz tests the foundations of the pathway rather than its individual steps:
- The Greek roots behind the word glycolysis — glycos (sugar) and lysis (splitting).
- The three scientists — Embden, Meyerhof and Parnas — whose initials give us the EMP pathway.
- Why glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of all living organisms.
- How plants convert sucrose into glucose and fructose using invertase.
- The first committing steps: phosphorylation by hexokinase and isomerisation to fructose-6-phosphate.
Read each question carefully — the terminology is exact and the enzyme names are fixed. Good luck!
Q1. The term glycolysis is derived from the Greek words glycos and lysis. What do these two words mean respectively?
Glycos means sugar and lysis means splitting, so glycolysis literally announces the splitting of a sugar molecule.
Q2. The scheme of glycolysis is often called the EMP pathway. Which set of scientists does the abbreviation EMP honour?
The scheme was given by Gustav Embden, Otto Meyerhof and J. Parnas, and the initials of their surnames form EMP.
Q3. In which part of the cell does glycolysis take place?
Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and is present in all living organisms.
Q4. Glycolysis is described as present in all living organisms. What does this imply about the pathway?
All living organisms retain the enzymatic machinery to partially oxidise glucose without the help of oxygen, so glycolysis is universal and oxygen-independent.
Q5. In plants, which enzyme converts sucrose into glucose and fructose before they enter glycolysis?
Sucrose is converted into glucose and fructose by the enzyme invertase, and these monosaccharides readily enter the glycolytic pathway.
Q6. Which enzyme phosphorylates glucose to give glucose-6-phosphate?
Glucose and fructose are phosphorylated to give rise to glucose-6-phosphate by the activity of the enzyme hexokinase.
Q7. Glucose-6-phosphate isomerises to produce which compound?
The phosphorylated form of glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, isomerises to produce fructose-6-phosphate.
Q8. In anaerobic organisms, what is the significance of glycolysis?
In anaerobic organisms, glycolysis is the only process in respiration.
Q9. Glycolysis is best described as which type of breakdown of glucose?
Glycolysis is the breakdown of glucose to pyruvic acid, a partial oxidation that does not require oxygen.
Q10. In plants, the glucose entering glycolysis is derived from sucrose, which is the end product of which process?
In plants, glucose is derived from sucrose, which is the end product of photosynthesis, or from storage carbohydrates.
Q11. How many molecules of pyruvic acid are formed when one molecule of glucose undergoes glycolysis?
In this process, glucose undergoes partial oxidation to form two molecules of pyruvic acid.
Q12. Which statement about the entry of glucose and fructose into glycolysis is correct?
Glucose and fructose are phosphorylated to give rise to glucose-6-phosphate by hexokinase, and subsequent steps of their metabolism are the same.
Q13. The term glycolysis describes a splitting reaction. Which event best justifies this name?
The name reflects the central event: a six-carbon sugar is cleaved into two three-carbon fragments that are then rearranged and oxidised to yield pyruvic acid.
Q14. Which of the following correctly states the fate of glucose-6-phosphate in the early part of glycolysis?
The phosphorylated form of glucose then isomerises to produce fructose-6-phosphate, after which the subsequent steps of glucose and fructose metabolism are the same.
Q15. Why is glycolysis considered an ancient pathway that predates an oxygen-rich atmosphere?
All living organisms retain the enzymatic machinery to partially oxidise glucose without the help of oxygen, indicating the pathway predates the oxygen-rich atmosphere.