Skip to content
Scrollchart
Health Science Rich #glycolysis#glucose#pyruvate

Glycolysis: 10-Step Pathway

Glucose to two pyruvates across ten enzymatic steps, net yield 2 ATP and 2 NADH.

A free, animated glycolysis: 10-step pathway you can read here or embed on any website, from Scrollchart.

Glycolysis: 10-Step Pathway

Glycolysis: 10-Step PathwayGlucose to 2 pyruvate. Net yield per glucose: 2 ATP, 2 NADH.INVESTMENT PHASE (steps 1 to 5) cost 2 ATPPAYOFF PHASE (steps 6 to 10) yield 4 ATP + 2 NADHGlucosestep 1G6Pstep 2F6Pstep 3F1,6BPstep 4DHAP / G3Pstep 5G3Pstep 61,3-BPGstep 73-PGstep 82-PGstep 9PEPstep 10HexokinasePhosphoglucose isomerase-1 ATPPFK-1Aldolasex2 from hereTriose-P isomerase+2 NADHGAPDH+2 ATPPhosphoglycerate kinasePhosphoglycerate mutaseH2O outEnolase+2 ATP2 Pyruvate→ TCA / lactateNET YIELDper glucoseInvested−2 ATPProduced+4 ATPNet ATP+2NADH+2Pyruvate2Aerobic add-on:≈ 30 ATP via ETC(NADH + pyruvate → TCA)Regulation:PFK-1 (step 3) is the committed, rate-limiting step. Inhibited by ATP and citrate; activated by AMP and F2,6BP.Hexokinase (step 1) and pyruvate kinase (step 10) are the other two irreversible control points; insulin upregulates all three.Warburg effect: cancer cells maintain high glycolytic flux even under normoxia, routing pyruvate to lactate for biosynthesis.

All ten enzymatic steps from glucose to pyruvate, split into the energy-investment phase (steps 1-5, costs 2 ATP) and energy-payoff phase (steps 6-10, yields 4 ATP + 2 NADH). Net: 2 ATP, 2 NADH, 2 pyruvate per glucose.

Good for

  • Biochemistry textbook supplements explaining how the body extracts ATP from glucose
  • Energy-systems articles for athletes covering anaerobic vs aerobic ATP yield
  • Cancer biology and Warburg-effect explainers on why tumour cells over-rely on glycolysis

Source & accuracy

This glycolysis: 10-step pathway is an editorial illustration built to represent the concept accurately. Where it shows figures, they are typical or representative values chosen to make the relationship clear, not a single underlying dataset. The diagram and its explainer are reviewed and maintained centrally, and updated over time as understanding improves.

Investment and payoff phases

Glycolysis converts one glucose into two pyruvate molecules across ten enzyme-catalyzed steps in the cytosol. The first half is an investment phase: two ATP are spent to phosphorylate glucose and split it into two three-carbon sugars. The second half is the payoff phase, where those three-carbon sugars are oxidized and rearranged, generating ATP and capturing electrons in NADH.

Net yield and key control points

The pathway nets 2 ATP and 2 NADH per glucose, along with the two pyruvate molecules. Three steps are essentially irreversible and serve as regulatory gates: hexokinase, phosphofructokinase-1 (the main control point), and pyruvate kinase. Under aerobic conditions pyruvate enters the mitochondria for further energy extraction; under low oxygen it is reduced to lactate to regenerate NAD+ and keep glycolysis running. General educational information about metabolism.

Embed this diagram

Add this animated glycolysis: 10-step pathway to your own site. Copy one line of HTML, or use the embed builder for theme and sizing options.

Reference

What this is
A free, embeddable, animated glycolysis: 10-step pathway for any website.
Who uses it
Medical educators, Biology educators, Biohacker blogs, Science popularizers.
How to embed
Copy one line of HTML. No signup. No watermark. Works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, plain HTML.
File size
iframe embed, ~80 KB gzipped (loads on demand, does not block your page paint).
License
Free forever. Editorial explainer text included; updated centrally over time.
URL
scrollchart.com/diagram/glycolysis-pathway

Embed format options

Copy the universal HTML snippet, the WordPress shortcode, or an iframe fallback - see the WordPress plugin page for details. Any format keeps the same Core Web Vitals profile and the same explainer text.

Embed snippet 
<div data-scrollchart="glycolysis-pathway" data-scrollchart-v="1"></div>
<script src="https://scrollchart.com/embed.js" async></script>

By embedding, you acknowledge the diagram and explainer text are served from scrollchart.com and may be updated from time to time to reflect new research or to link to relevant sources within the explainer.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get a free animated "Glycolysis: 10-Step Pathway" for my website?
Scrollchart provides "Glycolysis: 10-Step Pathway" as a free, embeddable animated diagram you can add to any website with one line of HTML. No signup is required and there is no watermark. The diagram and its explainer text are served from scrollchart.com, so the embed stays current without any maintenance on your end.
How do I embed a glycolysis: 10-step pathway diagram in a health or wellness blog?
Copy the HTML snippet from the Scrollchart diagram page and paste it into any post or page in your CMS. It works in WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Substack, and plain HTML without any plugin or account. The diagram renders as animated SVG directly in your page, so search engines can index the accompanying explainer text.
Related diagrams

Other health science explainers

See all health science →
Health Science Rich

Krebs (TCA) Cycle

Acetyl-CoA enters, two CO2 exit, three NADH and one FADH2 are produced per turn.
Health Science Medium

Three Fates of Pyruvate

Pyruvate becomes acetyl-CoA (aerobic), lactate (anaerobic), or oxaloacetate (gluconeogenesis).
Health Science Rich

Electron Transport Chain

NADH and FADH2 feed electrons through Complexes I-IV, pumping protons that drive ATP synthase to produce ~28-30 ATP per glucose.