Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
- Another set of mechanisms is seen in oxidation-reduction reactions. Oxidation
refers to a loss of electrons. Reduction refers to a gain of electrons
- Because electrons are conserved, a loss is paired with a gain in an overall reaction, with one substance
losing electrons and another gaining them
- Forms of oxidation include dehydrogenation, addition of oxygen and removal of electrons
- Dehydrogenation is the most common form of oxidation, with dehydrogenase enzymes making up a
large percentage of the oxido-reductases
- A typical dehydrogenation reaction is the conversion of lactate to pyruvate, which involves the
cleavage of a C-H bond and transfer of a hydride ion to NAD+:
