Algonquin College Health Program Assessment (AC-HPAT) Practice Exam

Pyruvate is produced primarily as an end product of glycolysis, which is the metabolic process that breaks down glucose to extract energy for cellular metabolism. During glycolysis, one molecule of glucose (a six-carbon compound) is converted into two molecules of pyruvate (a three-carbon compound), along with a net gain of two ATP molecules and two NADH molecules. This pathway occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell and does not require oxygen, making it an anaerobic process. While pyruvate can also be involved in other metabolic processes like cellular respiration and fermentation, it is the direct product of glycolysis. In cellular respiration, pyruvate is further oxidized in the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle) to produce additional energy. In fermentation, pyruvate can be converted into various byproducts depending on the type of fermentation being carried out, such as lactic acid or ethanol, but it is worth noting that fermentation itself does not produce pyruvate; instead, it utilizes it. Photosynthesis is not directly related, as it generates glucose rather than producing pyruvate.