In this article we will discuss about the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvic acid. We know that anaerobiosis the pyruvic acid formed during glycolysis reacts with NADH which accumulates to give lactic acid (or ethanol) and thus permits the regeneration of NAD+. But when oxygen is available, NADH is reoxidized thanks to the electrons carrier system, and the pyruvic acid is [...]
The following points highlight the three possibilities of the transformation of pyruvic acid. The possibilities are: 1. Production of Lactic Acid 2. Alcoholic Fermentation 3. Formation of α-Glycerophosphate and Glycerol. Possibility # 1. Production of Lactic Acid: In animals, in muscle cells (where anaerobiosis conditions often prevail when oxygen utilization is more rapid than its input in cells) or in [...]
In this article we will discuss about the photosynthetic cycle of reduction of Co2 into carbohydrates. The transformation of light energy into chemical energy results in the production of ATP and NADPH (see fig. 3-12). Our present knowledge of the metabolism of carbohydrates will enable us to study what is sometimes called the dark phase of photosynthesis, i.e. the series [...]