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The fate of pyruvate is determined by the availability of oxygen. In aerobic conditions, pyruvate is transported into the mitochondria where it is converted into acetyl-CoA by the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase. Acetyl-CoA then enters the citric acid cycle, where it undergoes further oxidation to produce ATP, NADH, and FADH2, which are used in the electron transport chain to generate large amounts of ATP. In anaerobic conditions, pyruvate is typically converted into lactate in muscle cells (lactic acid fermentation), or into ethanol and carbon dioxide in yeast cells (alcoholic fermentation). These processes regenerate NAD+ to allow glycolysis to continue, although they yield significantly less ATP compared to aerobic respiration. Thus, pyruvate can follow different pathways depending on the cell’s metabolic needs and environmental conditions.
BNO Team
