What is the main product of glycolysis?

The main product of glycolysis is pyruvate. During the glycolytic pathway, which occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell, one molecule of glucose (a six-carbon sugar) is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate (each a three-carbon compound). This process involves a series of enzymatic reactions that also produce a net gain of two ATP molecules and two NADH molecules.

While ATP is generated during glycolysis, it is not the primary product but rather an important energy carrier that is produced as a result of the process. Acetyl-CoA is formed later in cellular respiration, specifically from pyruvate during the transition into the citric acid cycle, and carbon dioxide is produced during the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA and during subsequent stages of cellular respiration, but it is not a direct product of glycolysis itself. Therefore, the correct identification of pyruvate as the main product highlights its crucial role as a key intermediate in metabolic pathways following glycolysis.