Final answer:
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the byproduct of converting pyruvate to ethanol during alcoholic fermentation. This process involves the enzyme-catalyzed transformation of pyruvate to acetaldehyde, the release of CO2, and the final reduction of acetaldehyde to ethanol.
Step-by-step explanation:
Byproduct of the Conversion of Pyruvate to Ethanol
The byproduct of the conversion of pyruvate to ethanol during alcoholic fermentation is carbon dioxide (CO2). In the first reaction of this biochemical process, pyruvate decarboxylase catalyzes the removal of a carboxyl group from pyruvic acid, releasing CO2 gas. This step transforms pyruvate into a two-carbon molecule, acetaldehyde. In the consequent reaction, acetaldehyde is reduced to ethanol by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which transfers an electron from NADH to acetaldehyde, concurrently producing NAD+ from NADH. This allows the glycolysis pathway to continue generating ATP. Alcoholic fermentation is essential in the production of alcoholic beverages, making bread rise, and the manufacture of biofuels.