Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis are two metabolic pathways that play crucial roles in energy metabolism. Glycolysis is the process of breaking down glucose into pyruvate, while gluconeogenesis is the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.In glycolysis, one molecule of glucose 6 carbons is converted into two molecules of pyruvate 3 carbons each . The net ATP production in glycolysis is 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule. This is because 2 ATP molecules are consumed in the initial steps of glycolysis, and 4 ATP molecules are produced in the later steps, resulting in a net gain of 2 ATP molecules.Gluconeogenesis, on the other hand, is an energy-consuming process. It requires the input of 6 ATP molecules to synthesize one molecule of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors such as pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, or certain amino acids. Since gluconeogenesis consumes ATP rather than producing it, the net ATP production is -6 ATP molecules per glucose molecule synthesized.The two pathways differ in terms of energy consumption and synthesis as follows:1. Glycolysis is an energy-producing pathway, generating a net gain of 2 ATP molecules per glucose molecule, while gluconeogenesis is an energy-consuming pathway, requiring the input of 6 ATP molecules to synthesize one glucose molecule.2. Glycolysis is a catabolic process, breaking down glucose into pyruvate, while gluconeogenesis is an anabolic process, synthesizing glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.3. Glycolysis occurs in both the cytoplasm and mitochondria of cells, while gluconeogenesis primarily occurs in the cytoplasm of liver and kidney cells.4. Glycolysis is a universal pathway, occurring in almost all organisms, while gluconeogenesis is mainly present in higher organisms, such as animals and some microorganisms.In summary, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis are two opposing metabolic pathways with different roles in energy metabolism. Glycolysis generates a net gain of 2 ATP molecules by breaking down glucose, while gluconeogenesis consumes 6 ATP molecules to synthesize glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.