Question

Is NAD+ and NADH the same thing?

Answer 1

NAD+

1. Within cells, NAD+ operates as a shuttle bus, moving electrons from one molecule to the next to carry out a range of processes and tasks.
2. NAD is a dinucleotide made up of two nucleotides joined by their phosphate groups that are found in all living cells.

NADH

1. When NAD oxidizes a molecule by receiving electrons and adding hydrogen ions to the chemical, it produces NADH.
2. The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is essential for metabolism.
3. The oxidized form of NAD+ is one in which an electron has been lost. NADH is a reduced form of the molecule, meaning it takes on the electron that NAD+ has lost.
4. In the generation of energy, redox reactions involving electron transfers play a crucial role.
5. A molecule's charge determines how it interacts with other molecules.
6. NADH, for example, cannot perform the same functions as NAD+, and vice versa.
7. As a result, NAD+ and NADH are nearly identical (with a few minor changes), like two sides of the same coin.
8. However, the ratio of NAD+ to NADH is not equal.
9. NADP+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, is a comparable molecule with a similar function, but it differs from NAD+ in that it has an extra phosphate group.
10. They are involved in various metabolic steps including cellular respiration.