What is the net gain of ATP and NADH produced by glycolysis per glucose molecule?

In glycolysis, which is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, there are key steps that yield energy in the form of ATP and NADH.

For each glucose molecule that undergoes glycolysis, the process catches four ATP molecules through substrate-level phosphorylation. However, two ATP molecules are used in the initial steps of glycolysis. Therefore, the net gain of ATP is calculated as follows:

4 (produced) - 2 (used) = 2 ATP.

In addition, two molecules of NADH are produced during glycolysis when glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate is oxidized.

Thus, for each glucose molecule, glycolysis results in a net gain of 2 ATP and 2 NADH. This is why the answer correctly identifies the net productions as 2 ATP and 2 NADH. This understanding of glycolysis is crucial to metabolic processes, as it provides the foundational knowledge needed for both aerobic and anaerobic respiration pathways that follow.