Name: pyruvate pathways in fermentation
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:36.000Z
Duration: 1 min 20 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Florida Department of Education

High School

Life Science

SC.912.L.18

SC.912.L.18.8

Fates of Pyruvate

Pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, can have several metabolic fates depending on the physiological conditions inside the organism.
Under aerobic conditions, pyruvate is converted into acetyl-coenzyme A, which is then channeled through the TCA cycle and the electron transport chain to produce energy in the form of ATP.
But, under anaerobic conditions, the electron transport chain does not function, as seen in yeast and anaerobic bacteria. So, pyruvate is fermented into ethanol while oxidizing NADH into NAD+ . NAD+ is then recycled back to glycolysis.
In most vertebrates, temporary low oxygen conditions trigger another form of pyruvate fermentation, where it is fermented into lactate, producing NAD+.
The regeneration of NAD+ during fermentation helps cells to continue making ATP even in low-oxygen conditions via glycolysis.
During low blood glucose levels, pyruvate can also be converted back to glucose 6-phosphate by a process called gluconeogenesis. Glucose 6-phosphate is then converted into glucose, which restores the blood glucose level.

גורלו של פירובט

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Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis, where glucose is oxidized to pyruvate, simultaneously reducing NAD+ to NADH. Two molecules of ATP are also ...

Education

JoVE Core

Cell Biology

ביולוגיה של התא

Unit 1

יחידה 1

Introduction to Metabolism

מבוא למטבוליזם (חילוף חומרים)

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

מונחים ומושגים מרכזיים

pyruvate pathways in fermentation

Pyruvate is a key product of glycolysis and can follow different pathways depending on oxygen availability. During glycolysis, glucose is oxidized to pyruvate, NAD+ is reduced to NADH, and two ATP are made by substrate-level phosphorylation. In aerobic organisms, pyruvate then enters the citric acid cycle, which helps produce the reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are later oxidized in the electron transport chain to make ATP and regenerate NAD+ and FAD.

When oxygen is absent, some cells and organisms use fermentation to keep energy production going. Fermentation reduces pyruvate to lactate and oxidizes NADH back to NAD+. This regeneration of NAD+ is important because it allows glycolysis to continue making ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation.

In lactic acid fermentation, pyruvate accepts electrons from NADH and becomes lactic acid. Microbes that carry out homolactic fermentation make only lactic acid. Microbes that carry out heterolactic fermentation make a mix of lactic acid, ethanol and/or acetic acid, and CO2. Lactic acid made by normal microbiota can help prevent pathogen growth in some body regions and supports gastrointestinal tract health.

Pyruvate can also be fermented to ethanol by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This process is used to make alcoholic beverages and helps bread rise because it releases CO2. Ethanol fermentation of plant products is also important in biofuel production. Other fermentation products have commercial value too. Acetone and butanol are made during acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation, and complex organic compounds used in antibiotics such as penicillin, vaccines, and vitamins are produced through mixed acid fermentation.

Pyruvate Pathways in Fermentation

overview of metabolism

Metabolism in Plants, Animals, and Microbes

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carbohydrate metabolism

Carbohydrates, Digestion, and Blood Sugar

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glycolysis: preparatory phase

Glycolysis: Energy Investment Steps

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glycolysis: pay-off phase

Glycolysis: ATP and NADH Output

The pay-off phase of glycolysis turns the two three-carbon sugar molecules into ATP, NADH, and pyruvate. By this stage, the cell has already spent two ATP molecules. The remaining reactions recover that investment and add two more ATP molecules and two high-energy NADH molecules. The sixth step oxidizes glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, a three-carbon sugar made earlier in glycolysis. High-energy electrons are transferred to NAD+, which becomes NADH. A second phosphate group is then added to form...

fates of pyruvate

Pyruvate is a key product of glycolysis and can follow different pathways depending on oxygen availability. During glycolysis, glucose is oxidized to pyruvate, NAD+ is reduced to NADH, and two ATP are made by substrate-level phosphorylation. In aerobic organisms, pyruvate then enters the citric acid cycle, which helps produce the reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are later oxidized in the electron transport chain to make ATP and regenerate NAD+ and FAD. When oxygen is absent,...

role of reduced coenzymes nadh and fadh&#8322;

Electron Carriers in Cellular Energy

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sugars as energy storage molecules

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Glucose storage in plants and animals helps cells manage energy for metabolism. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, and cells use it because a lot of energy is stored in its bonds. Consumed carbohydrates often come from photosynthesizing organisms, especially plants. Plants make glucose during photosynthesis by using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugar molecules. Because this builds a larger, energy-storing molecule, the process needs an energy input. Glucose can then be stored for later...

fats as energy storage molecules

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regulation of metabolism

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positive and negative feedback loops

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key terms and concepts

Explore how pyruvate is used in aerobic respiration and fermentation, including lactic acid and ethanol fermentation, ATP production, and real-world uses.

Pyruvate Pathways in Fermentation | JoVE K12

cell biology

JoVE Core Cell Biology illustrates complex cellular processes in easy-to-understand yet comprehensive animated video lessons. This collection focuses on the essential components and functions of cells, including organelles and membranes, cellular transport, and cell energetics. It is complemented by scientist-in-action videos that demonstrate the application of cell biology in real-world research experiments.

Macromolecules

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Polymers

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lipid-derived-compounds-in-the-human-body

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Amino acids

Amino acids are the monomers that comprise proteins. Each amino acid has the same fundamental structure, which consists of a central carbon atom, or the ...

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Protein and Protein Structures

Protein Organization

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In organisms, proteins are the most abundant macromolecules. They act as the building blocks of life and play various crucial roles in the body. Proteins ...

Fibrous Proteins

Fibrous proteins are either long and narrow proteins or assemble to form long and thin structures. They contain repetitive units and usually consist of ...

Protein Denaturation

The function of proteins depends on their native three-dimensional structure, which is dictated by the amino acid sequence of the specific protein. ...

Role of Proteins in the Human Body

Proteins are the building block of life. They are also&#160; the most abundant macromolecules with as many diverse roles in the body. They are part of ...

Mechanical Protein Function

Structural Protein Function

Introduction to Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the primary macronutrients in the human diet. However, carbohydrates are the most favored source of energy in the ...

Chemistry of Carbohydrates

Sugars as Energy Storage Molecules

Nucleic Acids and Nucleotides

Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell&#39;s genetic blueprint and have instructions for its ...

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group ...

The DNA Helix

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA ...

RNA Structure

The basic structure of RNA consists of a string of ribonucleotides attached by phosphodiester bonds. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form ...

Types of RNA

Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse ...

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Describe the basic molecular structures and primary functions of the four major categories of biological macromolecules.

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Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides

&#160;Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural ...

Membrane Carbohydrates

The plasma membrane is a dynamic barrier composed of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. It is the epicenter of many cellular processes required for cell ...

Describe the important structural characteristics of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides and explain the functions of carbohydrates in living things.

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Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms ...

What are Membranes?

A cell&#39;s plasma membrane demarcates the cell&#39;s borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain ...

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of ...

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane ...

Membrane Lipids

Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in ...

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. ...

Lipids as Anchors

In the plasma membrane, the lipids forming the bilayer can also act as an anchor to tether proteins to the membrane. The three main types of lipid anchors ...

The Significance of Membrane Transport

The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action ...

Describe the structures of fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids. Explain the functions of lipids in living organisms. Identify some reactions that fatty acids undergo. Relate the structure and function of cell membranes.

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Ligand Binding Sites

Cofactors and Coenzymes

Enzymes are proteins made of amino acids. The functional group of each constituent amino acid catalyzes a wide variety of chemical reactions via ionic ...

Introduction to Enzymes

The use of enzymes by humans dates to 7000 BCE. Humans first used enzymes to ferment sugars and produce alcohol without knowing that this was an ...

Enzymes and Activation Energy

The activation energy (or free energy of activation), abbreviated as Ea, is the small amount of energy input necessary for all chemical reactions to ...

Introduction to Enzyme Kinetics

Enzyme kinetics studies the rates of biochemical reactions. Scientists monitor the reaction rates for a particular enzymatic reaction at various substrate ...

Turnover Number and Catalytic Efficiency

The turnover number of an enzyme is the maximum number of substrate molecules it can transform per unit time. Turnover numbers for most enzymes range from ...

Catalytically Perfect Enzymes

The theory of catalytically perfect enzymes was first proposed by W.J. Albery and J. R. Knowles in 1976. These enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions at ...

introduction-to-mechanisms-of-enzyme-catalysis

Introduction to Mechanisms of Enzyme Catalysis

For many years, scientists thought that enzyme-substrate binding took place in a simple &#34;lock-and-key&#34; fashion. This model stated that the enzyme ...

Ligand Binding and Linkage

Cooperative Allosteric Transitions

Ribozymes

Enzyme Activity

Biological Catalysts

All living organisms continuously perform numerous biochemical reactions to sustain their presence. Most of these reactions require ...

Describe the structures of proteins and amino acids. Explain the functions of proteins in living organisms. Identify some reactions that amino acids undergo. Relate the structure and function of enzymes.

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Chemiosmosis

Oxidative phosphorylation is a highly efficient process that generates large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic unit of energy that drives ...

electron-transport-chain-complex-i-and-ii

Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the main energy generation system in the eukaryotic cells. However, mitochondria also produce ...

electron-transport-chain-complex-iii-and-iv

Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV

During the electron transport chain, electrons from NADH and FADH2 are first transferred to complexes I and II, respectively. These two complexes then ...

The Electron Transport Chain

The electron transport chain or oxidative phosphorylation is an exothermic process in which free energy released during electron transfer reactions is ...

the-supercomplexes-in-the-crista-membrane

The Supercomplexes in the Crista Membrane

The mitochondrial cristae membrane is the primary site for the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) process of energy conversion mediated through ...

ATP Synthase: Structure

ATP synthase or ATPase is among the most conserved proteins found in bacteria, mammals, and plants. This enzyme can catalyze a forward reaction in ...

ATP Synthase: Mechanism

In animals, the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase is the key protein that synthesizes ATP molecules through a complex catalytic mechanism. While the nuclear ...

The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein

ADP/ATP carrier or AAC protein is the most abundant carrier protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It transports large quantities of ADP and ATP, ...

ATP Yield

Cellular respiration produces 30 - 32 ATP per glucose molecule. Although most of the ATP results from oxidative phosphorylation and the electron transport ...

Discuss the use of chemiosmotic gradients for ATP production in chloroplasts and mitochondria.

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Fermentation

Most eukaryotic organisms require oxygen to survive and function adequately. Such organisms produce large amounts of energy during aerobic respiration by ...

biofuels-producing-ethanol-from-cellulosic-material

Biofuels: Producing Ethanol from Cellulosic Material

Source: Laboratories of Margaret Workman and Kimberly Frye - Depaul University
In this experiment, cellulosic material (such as corn stalks, leaves, ...

Discuss the role of anaerobic respiration in living things and in human society.

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Photosynthesis

Autotrophs

Almost all living organisms on Earth depend on photosynthesis, which is the process that converts sunlight energy into a simple sugar called ...

What is Photosynthesis?

All living organisms on Earth are directly or indirectly dependent on photosynthesis. It is the only biological process that can capture energy from ...

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They ...

Photosystems

Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in ...

The Photochemical Reaction Center

Reaction centers are pigment-protein complexes that initiate energy conversion from photons to chemical entities. Therefore, photochemical reaction center ...

The Antenna Complex

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - ...

the-z-scheme-of-electron-transport-in-photosynthesis

The Z-Scheme of Electron Transport in Photosynthesis

The light reactions of photosynthesis assume a linear flow of electrons from water to NADP+. During this process, light energy drives the splitting of ...

The Calvin Benson Cycle

Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, ...

Identify the reactants, products, and basic functions of photosynthesis.

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A. All living things are composed of four basic categories of macromolecules and share the same basic needs for life.

B. Living organisms acquire the energy they need for life processes through various metabolic pathways (primarily photosynthesis and cellular respiration).

C. Chemical reactions in living things follow basic rules of chemistry and are usually regulated by enzymes.

D. The unique chemical properties of carbon and water make life on Earth possible.

Pyruvate Pathways in Fermentation

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