Which component is NOT produced during glycolysis?

During glycolysis, glucose is broken down into pyruvate, producing energy in the form of ATP as well as reducing equivalents in the form of NADH. The process occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and is a key metabolic pathway for cellular respiration.

Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis and is transported into the mitochondria for further processing. ATP is generated through substrate-level phosphorylation during the glycolytic pathway, and NADH is produced when glucose is oxidized.

Acetyl-CoA, on the other hand, is not produced during glycolysis. Instead, it is generated from pyruvate after glycolysis through a separate process called pyruvate decarboxylation, which occurs in the mitochondria. Therefore, Acetyl-CoA’s formation is a subsequent step that takes place after glycolysis, distinguishing it from the direct outputs of glycolysis itself.