Question

After glycolysis, the fate of glucose in the mitochondrial matrix is.
A. Oxidation
B. Reduction
C. Oxidative decarboxylation
D. Hydrolysis

Answer 1

Hint: Glycolysis is the process by which one molecule of glucose is converted into two molecules of pyruvate, two hydrogen ions and two molecules of water. The end product of the cycle is pyruvic acid.

Complete answer: The end product of glycolysis, i.e. the pyruvic acid undergoes oxidative decarboxylation. In this process, the pyruvic acid is converted into Acetyl-CoA, which enters the Krebs cycle. It is a step that links glycolysis to Krebs cycle. In glycolysis, a single glucose molecule is split into 2 pyruvates, i.e. a six-carbon molecule splits into two three-carbon molecules. Because of this, the reaction occurs twice for each glucose molecule to produce a total of 2 acetyl-CoA molecules, which can then enter the Krebs cycle. The pyruvic acid is converted into Acetyl-CoA with the help of an enzyme complex called the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. In this process, NAD+ is oxidized to NADH and a carbon dioxide molecule is eliminated in the process.
So, the correct answer is C.

Additional Information: Oxidative Decarboxylation reactions are oxidative reactions in which a carboxylate group is removed, forming carbon dioxide. They usually occur in biological systems. Such reactions can be observed in the citric acid cycle.

Note: Glycolysis is the first one among the main metabolic pathways of cellular respiration to produce energy in the form of ATP. Most of the ATPs are produced in the Krebs cycle. A total of about 36-38 ATPs are produced in a single cycle of cellular respiration.