Some pathways lead to glory, like Hatch and Slack and Knoop, 
Utter, Calvin, Cori -- a most distinguished group, 
But of all of nature's pathways, we sing the praise today 
Of Embden, Meyerhof, Parnas -- the glycolytic way. 

Glucose, by hexokinase is turned to G6P 
(You might use glucokinase, you must use ATP) 
And, note, glycogenolysis (when stores are in the cell) 
Gives G1P which then mutates to G6P as well. 

The moiety of glucose, in the succeeding phase 
Is transferred to a ketose by an isomerase 
 [bad word] now, acts on that F6P; 
 [bad word] 1,6 bisphosphate is the product that's set free. 

The kinase is effected [bad word] 
And as you'll have suspected it uses ATP; 
FBP by aldolase is split reversibly 
To phosphoglyceraldehyde, also DHAP. 

The former and the latter can each equilibrate -- 
It really doesn't matter for metabolic fate -- 
So follow PG aldehyde and double what you see, 
You'll get the total balance sheet for a hexose moiety. 

There's now a novel facet, for NAD's reduced 
But carboxylic acid is not what is produced, 
Delta-G's substantial, and energy's conserved 
(For otherwise the pathway would, quite frankly, be absurd). 

 [bad word] oxidation of PG aldehyde 
Gives by phosphorylation an acid anhydride, 
And that bisphosphoglycerate reacts with ADP 
The kinase making ATP, of course reversibly. 

The [bad word]  3-phosphoglycerate 
From 3 to 2 position can readily mutate 
And now 2-phosphoglycerate does something rather strange -- 
Electrons on C2 and 3 proceed to rearrange. 

This redox-dehydration, catalyzed by enolase 
Gives PEP formation and bond energy raise 
So phosphoenol [bad word] reacts with ADP 
The kinase making ATP, but not reversibly. 

In anaerobiosis, [bad word] #39;s not the end; 
The problem we suppose is not hard [bad word]  
The dehydrogenation to phosphoglycerate 
Would grind to halt if NAD could not regenrate. 

The answer is quite subtle, [bad word] is reduced, 
Instead of glycerol shuttle, lactate is produced; 
Lactate dehydrogenase performs that noble feat, 
NADH is oxidized, the pathway [bad word]  

The balance sheet you'll see shows transfer of energy, 
Two ATP's from glucose and three from G1P. 
That's good, but oh to use the way where puryvate's reduced 
With decarboxylation first, then enthanol produced!