glycolysis/fermentation - oxidation or reduction? (Jan/15/2010 )
Hallo all,
I am a bit confused at the moment about a question someone asked me: is fermentation (lets say to produce ethanol) an oxidating or reducing proces?
And what with glycolysis?
I was thinking that fermentation was neither an oxidation nor reducing cycle since you use the same product (the one you are fermenting) both as electron donor and acceptor.
You first need to oxidate the glucose to form pyruvate and then you reduce pyruvate to ethanol.
Or is this wrong?
And what with glycolysis? I would think this is an oxidating reaction since you form NADH during this proces.
(wich you use later on during the following stages in fermentation)
or?
lyok on Jan 15 2010, 10:53 AM said:
I am a bit confused at the moment about a question someone asked me: is fermentation (lets say to produce ethanol) an oxidating or reducing proces?
And what with glycolysis?
I was thinking that fermentation was neither an oxidation nor reducing cycle since you use the same product (the one you are fermenting) both as electron donor and acceptor.
You first need to oxidate the glucose to form pyruvate and then you reduce pyruvate to ethanol.
Or is this wrong?
And what with glycolysis? I would think this is an oxidating reaction since you form NADH during this proces.
(wich you use later on during the following stages in fermentation)
or?
Hello lyok
Both glycolysis and Fermention are oxidising processes, they both consist of the breakdown of glucose.
An example of a biological reducing process is Photosynthesis, you start from CO2 and H2O and end up with glucose.
Radish on Feb 6 2010, 09:15 AM said:
lyok on Jan 15 2010, 10:53 AM said:
I am a bit confused at the moment about a question someone asked me: is fermentation (lets say to produce ethanol) an oxidating or reducing proces?
And what with glycolysis?
I was thinking that fermentation was neither an oxidation nor reducing cycle since you use the same product (the one you are fermenting) both as electron donor and acceptor.
You first need to oxidate the glucose to form pyruvate and then you reduce pyruvate to ethanol.
Or is this wrong?
And what with glycolysis? I would think this is an oxidating reaction since you form NADH during this proces.
(wich you use later on during the following stages in fermentation)
or?
Hello lyok
Both glycolysis and Fermention are oxidising processes, they both consist of the breakdown of glucose.
An example of a biological reducing process is Photosynthesis, you start from CO2 and H2O and end up with glucose.
Ok I see, but is it still correct to state that glucose is also reduced during the proces or?