Final answer:
Mature red blood cells lack mitochondria, which are where energy is produced, and rely solely on glycolysis for energy production. If glycolysis were blocked in a red blood cell, the cell would not be able to produce enough ATP and would eventually die.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mature red blood cells are among the very few cells of the body that do not have mitochondria, where energy is produced.
Since mature red blood cells lack mitochondria, they rely solely on glycolysis for energy production. Glycolysis is a process that breaks down glucose to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell.
If glycolysis were blocked in a red blood cell, these cells would not be able to produce enough ATP to meet their energy requirements. Without alternative sources of free energy, red blood cells would eventually die.