Link Reaction

• Aerobic cell respiration


  1. Pyruvate is decarboxylated and oxidised

  2. Pyruvate is converted into acetyl compound

  3. Acetyl compound is attached to coenzyme A to form acetyl coenzyme A
• Link reaction


  The first stage of aerobic respiration that transports pyruvate into the mitochondria
• Aerobic respiration uses available oxygen to further oxidise the sugar molecule for a greater yield of ATP
• Link reaction


  Links the products of glycolysis with the aerobic processes of the mitochondria
• Link reaction


  1. Pyruvate is transported from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix by carrier proteins on the mitochondrial membrane

  2. Pyruvate loses a carbon atom (decarboxylation), which forms a carbon dioxide molecule

  3. 2C compound forms an acetyl group when it loses hydrogen atoms via oxidation (NAD+ is reduced to NADH + H+)

  4. Acetyl compound combines with coenzyme A to form acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA)
• As glycolysis splits glucose into two pyruvate molecules, the link reaction occurs twice per molecule of glucose
• Per glucose molecule, the link reaction produces acetyl CoA (×2), NADH + H+ (×2) and CO2 (×2)