Which two molecules are produced during glycolysis?

During glycolysis, the process by which glucose is broken down to extract energy, the primary products are NADH and ATP. Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and consists of a series of enzymatic steps that convert one molecule of glucose (a six-carbon sugar) into two molecules of pyruvate (which are three-carbon compounds).

In this pathway, energy is captured in the form of ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation, and NADH is generated when NAD+ is reduced by the electrons released during the oxidation of glucose. Specifically, during the energy investment phase, two ATP molecules are used; subsequently, in the energy payoff phase, four ATP molecules are synthesized, resulting in a net gain of two ATP. Additionally, two molecules of NADH are produced from the reduction of NAD+.

The other options do not correctly describe the products of glycolysis. For instance, while pyruvate is indeed produced, the formation of glucose would not make sense as a product since glucose serves as the substrate for glycolysis, not the end product. Thus, the molecules produced during glycolysis that are of primary interest are NADH and ATP.