Question

When oxygen is readily available, pyruvate from

Glycolysis will enter the mitochondria membrane
for the Krebs Cycle.
______ will oxidize
pyruvate, meaning it will take a carbon away.
This results in the formation of acetyl co-A, a 2
carbon compound, and CO2, which is released
into the atmosphere. Also, because a bond was
broken, energy is released in the form of high
energy electrons, which must be carried by_____.


-carbon dioxide, NADH
-oxygen, NADH
-oxygen, NAD+
-carbon dioxide, NAD+

Answer 1

In the presence of oxygen, pyruvate is transformed into an acetyl group attached to a carrier molecule of coenzyme A. This process produces carbon dioxide and high energy electrons, which are carried by NADH.

In the presence of oxygen, pyruvate is transformed into an acetyl group attached to a carrier molecule of coenzyme A. The resulting acetyl CoA can enter several pathways, but most often, it is delivered to the citric acid cycle for further catabolism.

During the conversion of pyruvate into the acetyl group, a molecule of carbon dioxide and two high-energy electrons are removed.

The carbon dioxide accounts for two of the six carbons of the original glucose molecule, and the electrons are picked up by NAD+ and carried as NADH to a later pathway for ATP production.