What is released when a carboxyl group is removed from pyruvate during its conversion to an acetyl group?
AA molecule of carbon dioxide
BA molecule of ammonia gas
CA molecule of oxygen gas
DA molecule of pure water
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A molecule of carbon dioxide
1. The first of three steps strips a carboxyl group from pyruvate.
2. That carboxyl group leaves as a molecule of carbon dioxide released into the surrounding medium.
3. It is the first of the six carbons from the original glucose molecule to be removed.
4. Ammonia comes from the removal of amino groups from amino acids, which is a different pathway entirely.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Cellular Respiration", section 7.3 Oxidation of Pyruvate and the Citric Acid Cycle_
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