Number of oxygen atoms required for aerobic oxidation of one pyruvate .

Options

A. 5
B. 8
C. 10
D. 12

Answer

To determine the number of oxygen atoms required for the aerobic oxidation of one pyruvate, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Pyruvate Formation**:
- Pyruvate is produced from glucose through a process called glycolysis. Each glucose molecule yields two pyruvate molecules.

2. **Location of Aerobic Oxidation**:
- The aerobic oxidation of pyruvate occurs in the mitochondria of the cell.

3. **Krebs Cycle Involvement**:
- After glycolysis, pyruvate enters the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle). This cycle involves a series of chemical reactions that lead to the complete oxidation of pyruvate.

4. **Oxidation Reactions**:
- In the Krebs cycle, there are a total of 5 oxidation reactions that occur for each pyruvate molecule. Each of these oxidation reactions requires one oxygen atom.

5. **Calculating Total Oxygen Atoms**:
- Since there are 5 oxidation reactions and each reaction uses 1 oxygen atom, the total number of oxygen atoms required for the oxidation of one pyruvate is 5.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the number of oxygen atoms required for the aerobic oxidation of one pyruvate is **5**.

### Final Answer:
**5 oxygen atoms are required for the aerobic oxidation of one pyruvate.**

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