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•The glycolytic pathway is ancient in evolution, and is
common to all living
organisms.
•The earliest biochemical studies of glycolysis over
100 years ago
used cell free extracts of yeast, in which it was observed that glucose could be
converted to carbon dioxide and ethanol in the same manner carried out by
intact yeast cells to make beer and bread.
•Glycolysis was one of the first metabolic pathways
studied and
is one of the best understood, in terms of the enzymes involved, their mechanisms of action
and the regulation of the pathway to meet the needs of the organism and the
cell.
HISTORY OF GLYCOLYSIS