Correct Answer: pyruvate

Solution : The correct option is pyruvate .

Glycolysis is the process of breaking glucose molecules to generate energy. In this process, the glucose is broken down to create pyruvate in a cell's cytoplasm. The breakdown of one glucose molecule into two pyruvate molecules results in the production of additional energy in one of two ways. In the presence of oxygen (aerobic respiration), pyruvic acid provides energy to living cells through the citric acid cycle, also referred to as the Krebs cycle. In the absence of oxygen, it ferments to form lactic acid.