Glycolysis pathway, anaerobic

Anaerobic glycolysis is a biochemical pathway in which glucose is converted to pyruvate in the absence of oxygen, and pyruvate is subsequently reduced to lactate, regenerating NAD⁺ required for glycolysis to continue. This process provides a rapid but inefficient means (2 net ATP per glucose) of generating ATP compared to aerobic respiration, which can yield up to 32 ATP per glucose. Anaerobic glycolysis is especially important when oxygen is limited, such as during intense exercise, in red blood cells (which lack mitochondria), and under various pathological conditions. The pathway operates in the cytoplasm and includes multiple enzyme-catalyzed steps, with essential regulatory control points at hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase. The final conversion of pyruvate to lactate is catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase.

Other names

Anaerobic glycolysisLactic acid fermentation pathway (in animals)Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway (sometimes used broadly for glycolysis itself)

Enzyme inhibition (blocking specific glycolytic enzymes) Depletion of pathway intermediates (rare and primarily research tools)