Difference Between Glycolysis and Krebs

(citric acid) Cycle

June 2, 2017 By Rachna C Leave a Comment

The main difference between glycolysis and Krebs cycle is: Glycolysis is the first
step involved in the process of respiration and occurs in the cytoplasm of the
cell. While Krebs Cycle is the second process of respiration which occurs in
the mitochondria of the cell. Both are the process involved in respiration with
the aim of fulfilling the energy requirement of the body.

So Glycolysis is defined as the chain of the reactions, for the conversion of

glucose (or glycogen) into pyruvate lactate and thus producing ATP. On the other
hand, Kreb cycle or citric acid cycle involves the oxidation of acetyl CoA into
CO2 and H2O.

Respiration is the important process of all the living being, where oxygen is
utilised and carbon dioxide is released from the body. During this process, energy
is released, which is used to perform various functions of the body. Apart from
the above two mechanisms, there are various other mechanisms of respiration
like Electron transport system, pentose phosphate pathway, anaerobic
breakdown of pyruvic acid, and terminal oxidation.

In the provided content we will discuss the general difference between two most
important mechanisms of respiration which are glycolysis and Krebs cycle.
Content: Glycolysis Vs Krebs Cycle

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR
GLYCOLYSIS KREBS CYCLE
COMPARISON

Starts with Break down of glucose into Oxidize Pyruvate into CO2.
pyruvate.

Also known as EMP (Embden-Meyerhof- TCA (tricaboxylic acid) cycle,

Parnas Pathway or Mitochondrial respiration.
Cytolplasmic pathway).

Role of Carbon No carbon dioxide is evolved in Carbon dioxide is evolved in

dioxide glycolysis. Krebs cycle.

Site of occurrence Inside the cytoplasm. Occurs inside the

mitochondria (cytosol in
prokaryotes)

It can occur as Aerobically (i.e. in presence of It occurs aerobically (presence

oxygen) or anaerobically (i.e. in of oxygen).
absence of oxygen).

Degradation of A glucose molecule is degraded Degradation of pyruvate is

molecule into two molecules of organic completely into inorganic
substances, pyruvate. substances which are CO2 and
H2O.

Consumption of It consumes 2 ATP molecules, It does not consume ATP.

ATP for the phosphorylation.
 BASIS FOR
GLYCOLYSIS KREBS CYCLE
COMPARISON

Net gain Two molecules of ATP and two Six molecules of NADH2, 2
molecules of NADH, for every molecules of FADH2 for every
molecule of glucose is broken two acetyl CoA enzyme.
down.

Number of ATP The net gain of ATP is 8 The net gain of ATP is 24.
produced (including NADH).

Oxidative No role of oxidative Vital role of oxidative

phosphorylation phosphorylation. phosphorylation, and
oxaloacetate is considered to
play a catalytic role.

Step in the process Glucose is broken into Krebs cycle is the second step
of respiration pyruvate, and hence glycolysis of respiration.
is said as the first step of
respiration.

Type of pathway It is the straight or linear It is a circular pathway.

pathway.

Definition of Glycolysis
Glycolysis is also known as ‘Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas Pathway‘. It is a
unique pathway occurring aerobically as well anaerobically, without the
involvement of molecular oxygen. It is the major pathway for glucose metabolism
and occurs in the cytosol of all the cells. The basic concept of this process is that
the one molecule of glucose gets partially oxidized into two moles of pyruvate,
enhanced by the presence of enzymes.

Glycolysis is a process that occurs in 10 simple steps. In this cycle first seven
steps reactions of glycolysis occur in the cytoplasmic organelles called
as glycosome. While the other three reactions like hexokinase,
phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase are the irreversible one.
The whole cycle is divided into two phases, the first five steps are known
as preparatory phase and the another is known as payoff phase. In the first
five steps of this pathway, phosphorylation of glucose occurs twice and is
converted to fructose 1,6 -biphosphate, so we can say that here energy
is consumed due to phosphorylation and ATP is the phosphoryl group donor.

Further now fructose 1,6 -biphosphate gets splits to yield two 2,3-carbon
molecules. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate, which is one of the product is converted
into glyceraldehydes 3-phophate. This gives two molecules of glyceraldehyde 3-
phopsphate, which are further processed to five-step payoff phase.

Pay-off phase is the energy gain phase of glycolysis, and it yields ATP and
NADH in the last step. Firstly, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate is oxidized with
NAD+ as the electron acceptor (to form NADH) and an inorganic phosphate is
incorporated to give a high energy molecule as 1,3 -biphosphoglycerate.
Subsequently, high-energy phosphate on carbon one is donated to ADP to
convert into ATP. This production of ATP is called substrate-level
phosphorylation.
 Glycolysis pathway
Thus the energy yield from the glycolysis is 2 ATP and 2 NADH, from one
molecule of glucose.

Steps involved in glycolysis:

Step 1: This first step is called as phosphorylation, it is an irreversible reaction

leads by an enzyme called as hexokinase. This enzyme is found in all types of
cells. In this step, Glucose is phosphorylated by ATP to form a sugar-phosphate
molecule. The negative charge present on the phosphate prevents the passage of
the sugar phosphate through the plasma membrane and thus engaging glucose
inside the cell.

Step 2: This step is called Isomerization, in this a reversible rearrangement of

the chemical structure moves the carbonyl oxygen from carbon 1 to carbon 2,
forming a ketose from an aldose sugar.

Step 3: This is also a phosphorylation step, the new hydroxyl group on carbon

1 is phosphorylated by ATP, for the formation of two three-carbon sugar
phosphates. This step is regulated of the enzyme phosphofructokinase, which
checks the entry of sugars into glycolysis.

Step 4: This is named as cleavage reaction. Here two three-carbon molecule is

produced by cleaving the six carbon sugar. Only the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
can proceed immediately through glycolysis.

Step 5: This is also Isomerization reaction, where the other product of step 4,

dihydroxyacetone phosphate is isomerized to form glyceraldehyde 3 -phosphate.

Step 6: From this step, the energy generation phase will start. So the two
molecules of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate are oxidized. By reacting with the -SH
group, Iodoacetate inhibits the function of enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
dehydrogenase.

Step 7: ATP is formed, from the high-energy phosphate group that was
generated in step 6.
Step 8: The phosphate ester linkage in 3-phosphoglycerate, having free energy is
moved from carbon 3 to form 2-phosphoglycerate.

Step 9: Enol phosphate linkage is created with the removal of water from 2-
phosphoglycerate. Enolase (enzyme catalyzing this step) is inhibited by fluoride.

Step 10: Forms ATP, with the transfer of ADP to the high energy phosphate
group, generated in step 9.

Definition of Krebs Cycle

This cycle occurs in the matrix of mitochondria (cytosol in prokaryotes).
The net result is the production of CO2 when the acetyl group entering the cycle
as Acetyl CoA. In this, the oxidation of pyruvic acid into carbon dioxide and water
occurs.

Krebs cycle was discovered by H.A Krebs (a German-born biochemist) in

the year 1936. As the cycle begins with the formation of citric acid, it is called
citric acid cycle. The cycle also contains three carboxylic groups (COOH), hence
also called as a tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle).
 The Citric acid (Krebs) cycle

Steps involved in Krebs cycle:

Step 1: Citrate is produced in this step when Acetyl CoA adds its two-carbon
acetyl group to oxaloacetate.

Step 2: Citrate is converted to its isocitrate (an, an isomer of citrate), by the

removal of one water molecule and adding the another.

Step 3: NAD+ is reduced to NA when isocitrate is oxidized and loses a CO2

molecule.

Step 4: CO2 is lost again, the resulting compound is oxidized and NAD+ is
reduced to NADH. The remaining molecule gets attached to coenzyme A through
an unstable bond. Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase catalyzes the reaction.

Step 5: GTP is generated by the displacement of CoA by a phosphate group and

transferred to GDP.

Step 6: In this step, FADH2 and oxidizing succinate are formed, when two
hydrogens are transferred to FAD.

Step 7: The substrate gets oxidized and NAD+ is reduced to NADH and
oxaloacetate is regenerated.

Key Difference Between Glycolysis and Krebs Cycle

1. Glycolysis is also known as EMP (Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas

Pathway or Cytoplasmic pathway) starts with the breakdown of
glucose into pyruvate; Krebs cycle is also known as TCA (tricarboxylic
acid) cycle. Mitochondrial respiration starts oxidizing pyruvate into CO2.
2. Net gain of the whole cycle is two molecules of ATP and two molecules of
NADH, for every molecule of glucose which is broken down, while in Krebs
cycle six molecules of NADH2, 2 molecules of FADH2 for every two acetyl-
CoA enzymes.
3. Total number of ATP produced is 8 and in Krebs cycle, total ATP is 24.
4. No carbon dioxide is evolved in glycolysis while in Krebs cycle carbon
dioxide is evolved.
5. The site of occurrence of glycolysis is inside the cytoplasm; Krebs cycle
occurs inside the mitochondria (cytosol in prokaryotes).
 6. Glycolysis can occur in the presence of oxygen i.e aerobic or in absence of
oxygen i.e.anaerobic; Krebs cycle occurs aerobically.
7. A glucose molecule is degraded into two molecules of an organic
substance, pyruvate in glycolysis, while degradation of pyruvate is
completely into inorganic substances which are CO2 and H2O.
8. In Glycolysis 2 ATP molecules are consumed for the phosphorylation
while Kreb cycle there is no consumption of ATP.
9. No role of oxidative phosphorylation in glycolysis; there is a major role of
oxidative phosphorylation as well as oxaloacetate is considered to play a
catalytic role in Krebs cycle.
10. As in glycolysis, glucose is broken into pyruvate, and hence glycolysis is
said as the first step of respiration; Krebs cycle is the second step of
respiration for the production of ATP.
11. Glycolysis is a straight or linear pathway; while Krebs cycle is
a circular pathway.
Conclusion
Both the pathways produce energy for the cell, where Glycolysis is the breakdown
of a molecule of glucose to yield two molecules of pyruvate, whereas Kreb cycle is
the process where acetyl CoA, produces citrate by adding its carbon acetyl group
to oxaloacetate. Glycolysis is essential for the brain which depends on glucose for
energy.

Kreb cycle is an important metabolic pathway in supplying energy to the body,

about 65-70% of the ATP is synthesized in Krebs cycle. Citric acid cycle or Krebs
cycle is the final oxidative pathway which connects almost all the individual
metabolic pathway.