Question

Explain the role of pyruvate acid in respiration

Answer 1

Pyruvate or Pyruvic acid plays an important role both in aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Pyruvate is formed in the pay off phase or energy conserving phase of the aerobic respiration.
Under the influence of phosphoenol Pyruvate (a derivative of 2-phosphoglycerate in dehydration process) and ADP with the help of enzyme Pyruvate kinase and some elementary minerals such as Mg2+ and K+ it forms "Pyruvate" and ATP molecules (process is the formation of pyruvate). There is another method which forms Pyruvate and other compounds with the help of glucose, is under the process of net products of glycolysis.
Pyruvate also helps in the formation of acetyl carboxylic acids where it undergoes decarboxylation in Krebs Cycle.