Question

Per molecule of glucose, how many molecules of NADH are generated by pyruvate oxidation?

A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 4

Answer 1

Two molecules of NADH are generated per molecule of glucose by pyruvate oxidation, reflecting the conversion of each pyruvate molecule to an acetyl-CoA and a NADH.

Step-by-step explanation:

Per molecule of glucose, two molecules of NADH are generated by pyruvate oxidation during the process of glycolysis. Each glucose molecule is converted into two pyruvate molecules, yielding a net total of two NADH molecules. After glycolysis, if oxygen is present, pyruvate undergoes a process called pyruvate decarboxylation where each pyruvate molecule is transformed into an acetyl-CoA molecule and one molecule of NADH is generated, hence, for each glucose molecule, this results in two NADH molecules (one from each pyruvate).