Which of the following statements best supports the claim that glycolysis is likely one of the first metabolic pathways to have evolved?
A) It produces much less ATP than does oxidative phosphorylation.
B) It does not involve organelles or specialized structures, does not require oxygen, and is present in most organisms.
C) It is present in prokaryotic cells but not in eukaryotic cells.
D) It requires the presence of membrane-enclosed cell organelles found only in eukaryotic cells.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Glycolysis is considered one of the earliest metabolic pathways to have evolved because it is a universal process found in almost all organisms, does not require oxygen (indicating it could occur before Earth's atmosphere was oxygen-rich), and does not depend on organelles or specialized structures, which suggests it could occur in the simplest of cells.

Which of the Following Statements Best Supports the Claim That