Final answer:
Glucose 6-phosphate hydrolysis is almost totally completed at equilibrium, with 99% conversion. Within glycolysis, glucose 6-phosphate is converted into fructose 6-phosphate in an endergonic and reversible reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) by glucose 6-phosphatase is a metabolic process where 99% of the substrate is converted to glucose and inorganic phosphate at equilibrium, meaning only 1% of the G6P remains unreacted.
In the context of glycolysis, another enzyme, phosphogluco-isomerase, also known as glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, catalyzes the conversion of G6P into its isomer, fructose-6-phosphate (F6P).
This reaction is slightly endergonic and reversible with a free energy change (ΔG°) of 1.7 kJ/mol, indicating that it does not proceed to the same extent as the glucose 6-phosphatase reaction.
The conversion of G6P into F6P by phosphogluco-isomerase is an essential step in glycolysis, facilitating the subsequent reactions that lead to the generation of energy through the breakdown of glucose.
The overall pathway of glycolysis is exergonic, with various enzymes like hexokinase initiating the process by adding a phosphate group to glucose, resulting in G6P.
Further down the pathway, enzymes such as phosphofructokinase and aldolase play critical roles in converting F6P to other intermediates, leading to the production of ATP and pyruvate.