Question

Pyruvate (pyruvic acid) dehydrogenase is used in converting (a) Pyruvate to glucose (b) Glucose to pyruvate (c) Pyruvic acid to lactic acid (d) Pyruvate (pyruvic acid) to acetyl-CoA

Short answer

The correct answer is (d) Pyruvate (pyruvic acid) to acetyl-CoA.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Role of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase

Pyruvate dehydrogenase is a critical enzyme involved in metabolic pathways. Knowing the role it plays, one can directly associate the enzyme with the conversion it catalyzes.

Identifying Conversion

As per scientific references, pyruvate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate (also known as pyruvic acid) to acetyl-CoA. This is a crucial step in the metabolic pathway that enables glucose to be fully broken down to release energy.

Key concepts

Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is the process by which cells convert nutrients into energy, a vital activity for the sustenance of life. In simple terms, it's how cells 'breathe'. This process begins with glycolysis, where glucose is broken down into pyruvate. The fate of pyruvate depends on the cell's energy needs and the presence of oxygen. If oxygen is abundant, pyruvate enters the mitochondria and is further processed by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex to form acetyl-CoA, a substrate for the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle).

This is the fundamental understanding required not only for biology students but also for those preparing for competitive exams like NEET. Efficient cellular respiration is key to understanding how energy is harnessed and utilized in the body, which is a central concept in biochemistry. This topic is frequently addressed in NEET to assess students' grasp of bioenergetics.

Metabolic Pathways

Metabolic pathways are a series of interconnected biochemical reactions that convert a substrate molecule through a series of metabolic intermediates, eventually yielding a final product. These pathways are tightly regulated sequences where the product of one enzyme acts as the substrate for the next. Pyruvate dehydrogenase lies at a critical junction in cellular metabolism, especially in the link between glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.

Understanding these pathways is crucial because they dictate how the body uses food for energy, how it synthesizes essential compounds, and how it detoxifies harmful substances. Pyruvate dehydrogenase specifically converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, linking the anaerobic process of glycolysis with aerobic oxidation in the citric acid cycle, highlighting the importance of metabolic pathways in energy regulation.

Biochemistry for NEET

For students preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), biochemistry is an essential subject that bridges together chemistry and biology. Topics like enzyme functions, metabolic pathways, and energy production are at the core of biochemistry. Pyruvate dehydrogenase is a prime example of an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism, which is a significant topic for NEET. By catalyzing the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, it not only facilitates the link between various metabolic pathways but also is involved in energy production during aerobic respiration. Deep dive into these biochemical processes and their regulatory mechanisms is often part of the NEET curriculum, as understanding these concepts is critical for aspiring medical students.