Glycolysis occurs during both aerobic and anarobic respiration in the cytoplasm of the cell in both plants and animals. One glucose molecule is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate releasing 4 molecules of ATP. However 2 ATP is used up to breakdown glucose into pyruvate. Therefore the net chemical energy from glycolysis is two molecules of ATP. Two molecules of reduced NADH are also released which are involved in the last step of respiration which is the Electron chain along the mitrcohondrial membrane Pyruvate then enters the link reaction.