what molecules are required to complete the pyruvate oxidation reaction?
The first process in the breakdown of glucose is glycolysis (Equation 5), in which glucose is broken down into two three-carbon molecules known as pyruvate. The pyruvate is then converted to acetyl CoA (acetyl coenzyme A) and carbon dioxide in an intermediate step (Equation 6). In the second process, known as the citric-acid cycle (Equation 7), the three-carbon molecules are further broken down into carbon dioxide.