Question

Under anaerobic conditions, pyruvate is converted into lactate in vertebrate muscle tissue. This conversion allows the muscles to continue carrying out glycolysis because

Group of answer choices The decarboxylation of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NAD+, which maintains redox balance. The reduction of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NADH, which maintains redox balance. None of the other choices is correct. The decarboxylation of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NADH, which maintains redox balance. The reduction of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NAD+, which maintains redox balance.

Answer 1

Under anaerobic conditions, pyruvate is converted into lactate in vertebrate muscle tissue. This conversion allows the muscles to continue carrying out glycolysis because the reduction of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NAD+, which maintains redox balance.

In the absence of oxygen in vertebrate muscle cells, pyruvate and NADH produced in glycolysis are converted to lactate and NAD+. Conversion of pyruvate to lactate is catalyzed by Lactate dehydrogenase enzyme. In glycolysis, during dehydrogenation of the two molecules of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, two molecules of NAD+ is reduced to two molecules of NADH. While during reduction of two molecules of pyruvate to two molecules of lactate, two molecules of NAD+is regenerated and utilized in the former conversion. There is an overall balance in utilization of NAD+ molecules and the overall equilibrium favors lactate formation ensuring the conversion of pyruvate to lactate occurs continously.