Question

Glucose, C₆H₁₂O₆, is a simple sugar that the body metabolizes into two molecules of pyruvic acid, C₃H₄O₃. Is the glucose oxidized or reduced as it transforms into pyruvic acid?

Answer 1

In glycolysis, glucose is oxidized to two molecules of pyruvic acid, and oxidation is indicated by the loss of hydrogen atoms from glucose to pyruvate.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the process of glycolysis, glucose, which has the chemical formula C6H12O6, is transformed into two molecules of pyruvic acid or pyruvate, with the chemical formula C3H4O3. During this transformation, the glucose molecule is oxidized.

This is evident because the carbon atoms of glucose lose hydrogen atoms as they are converted to pyruvate. Additionally, during glycolysis, some energy is conserved in the form of ATP and NADH, with NAD becoming reduced to NADH.

The process of glycolysis involves a series of reactions where glucose gets broken down, releasing energy that is partially captured in energy currency molecules such as NADH and ATP, and the rest is released as heat.

The transformation of glucose into pyruvic acid involves oxidation. In this process, the glucose molecule loses hydrogens and is therefore oxidized.

The substance that is reduced during this transformation is a metabolite called NAD, which is converted into NADH. The oxidation of glucose to pyruvic acid occurs during the process of glycolysis, which is the initial step of cellular respiration