Glycolysis only produces a (net) 2 ATP per glucose molecule.
This doesn't seem like a lot of energy per glucose molecule, so why
is glycolysis used by almost every living organism?
a)
Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis are continuously "feeding" each
other via the Cori Cycle. So, a lot of ATP can be produced without
the need for other pathways.
B)
Because this occurs in the mitochondria, which have a lot of
folds (cristae), there are a LOT of glycolytic enzymes working
simultaneously - which produces a lot of ATP.
c)
The pathway relies on oxygen, which is very abundant in our
atmosphere and used by many organisms.
D)
The pathway is incredibly fast, so ATP is produced very
quickly.