Question

Which enzyme splits a six-carbon molecule into two three-carbon molecules in glycolysis?

a. Triosephosphate isomerase
b. Phosphoglycerate kinase
c. Pyruvate kinase
d. Enolase
e. Fructose bisphospate aldolase

Answer 1

The enzyme responsible for splitting a six-carbon molecule into two three-carbon molecules in glycolysis is fructose bisphosphate aldolase.

Step-by-step explanation:

The enzyme which splits a six-carbon molecule into two three-carbon molecules in glycolysis is called fructose bisphosphate aldolase. During glycolysis, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, a six-carbon sugar, is split into two three-carbon molecules: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. The enzyme aldolase catalyzes this important reaction facilitating the cleavage of the six-carbon sugar into these two three-carbon isomers.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question is e. Fructose bisphosphate aldolase. This reaction is crucial for the continuation of glycolysis, allowing the two three-carbon molecules to be further processed down the glycolytic pathway, eventually leading to the production of ATP and pyruvate.