Intermediate step/ Pyruvate Oxidation

• Eukaryotic cells/ organisms- mitochondrial matrix
• loose carbon in the form of CO2 (2 more carbons are left)
• this stage is where CO2 starts getting released in aerobic cellular respiration
• reduce another NAD+ to NADH (per pyruvate)
• coenzyme A links up with a carbon to form 2-carbon acetyl CoA
• total: still 2 ATP

  4 NADH

  CO2 released
• Acetyl Co-A is formed to enter the Krebs Cycle