What is lactic fermentation?

What is lactic fermentation?

• A. The anaerobic process in which pyruvic acid and NADH are turned into NAD+, Carbon dioxide, and lactic acid
• B. Aerobic respiration producing CO2 and water
• C. Fermentation producing ethanol and CO2
• D. Conversion of glucose to lactose

Answer: (A)

Lactic fermentation is an anaerobic process that recycles NAD+ by converting pyruvate into lactate, using electrons from NADH. The enzyme lactate dehydrogenase transfers those electrons, turning pyruvate into lactate and regenerating NAD+ so glycolysis can continue without oxygen. This allows a cell to keep producing ATP through glycolysis when oxidative respiration isn’t possible. There’s no carbon dioxide released in this pathway, which helps distinguish it from alcoholic fermentation, where CO2 is released during the conversion of pyruvate to ethanol. The lactate that forms can accumulate in tissues like muscle during intense exercise and later be recycled back to glucose in the liver.

Lactic fermentation is an anaerobic process that recycles NAD+ by converting pyruvate into lactate, using electrons from NADH. The enzyme lactate dehydrogenase transfers those electrons, turning pyruvate into lactate and regenerating NAD+ so glycolysis can continue without oxygen. This allows a cell to keep producing ATP through glycolysis when oxidative respiration isn’t possible. There’s no carbon dioxide released in this pathway, which helps distinguish it from alcoholic fermentation, where CO2 is released during the conversion of pyruvate to ethanol. The lactate that forms can accumulate in tissues like muscle during intense exercise and later be recycled back to glucose in the liver.