Pyruvic acid, the key product of glycolysis can have many metabolid fates. Under aerobic condition it forms

Pyruvic acid is an important intermediate in cellular metabolism. It’s produced as the key product of glycolysis, which is the process that breaks down glucose into two molecules of pyruvic acid, along with generating some ATP and NADH. The metabolic fate of pyruvic acid depends largely on whether oxygen is present (aerobic conditions) or absent (anaerobic conditions).

Under aerobic conditions, cells can use oxygen to further metabolize pyruvic acid. Instead of being converted into lactic acid or ethanol (processes typically associated with anaerobic conditions), the pyruvic acid undergoes a series of steps:

1. Key product of glycolysis (pyruvic acid) enters the mitochondria.
2. Inside the mitochondria, pyruvic acid is transformed into acetyl CoA through a process known as oxidative decarboxylation.
3. During this transformation, one carbon from pyruvic acid is released as CO₂. The remaining two-carbon molecule becomes linked to coenzyme A, forming acetyl CoA.
4. Acetyl CoA then enters the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), where it’s fully oxidized, generating additional ATP, NADH, and FADH2.

Therefore, under aerobic conditions, pyruvic acid (the key product of glycolysis) is converted into acetyl CoA and CO₂, which allows the cell to extract much more energy than is possible under anaerobic conditions.

Correct Answer: c) Acetyl CoA + CO₂