Three metabolic products of pyruvate
● Glycolysis is a common process that occurs in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Pyruvate is the product of glycolysis.
● Depending upon the availability of oxygen the fate of pyruvate is decided.
● Products formed from pyruvate under aerobic conditions − CO2+H2O
● Products formed from pyruvate under anaerobic conditions −Ethanol+CO2 (In yeast), Lactic acid (animal skeletal muscle)
Fate of pyruvic acid under aerobic condition
Pyruvic acid gets converted to acetyl CoA which then enters the TCA cycle where it releases carbon dioxide and eventually at the end of ETS it forms water.
Hence, CO2 and water are the end products.
Fate of pyruvic acid under anaerobic conditions
Under anaerobic conditions, due to insufficient oxygen, pyruvic acid gets converted to lactic acid in animal muscle cells and ethanol in yeast cells.
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