- Lactic acid fermentation
Lactic acid fermentation is a biological process by which sugars such as
glucose ,fructose , andsucrose , are converted into cellular energy and the metabolic waste productfermental acid . It is a form offermentation that occurs in some bacteria andanimal cell s in the absence ofoxygen . During homolactic acid fermentation, one molecule of glucose is ultimately converted to two molecules of lactic acid. In heterolactic acid fermentation, sometimes referred to as thephosphoketolase pathway, the products of fermentation are one molecule of carbon dioxide, one molecule of ethanol, and one molecule of lactic acid.Lactic Acid Fermentation
Glycolysis produces 2 molecules of ATP, reduces 2 molecules ofNAD+ toNADH , and creates 2 three-carbon molecules ofpyruvate . Most of the chemical energy of the glucose is still trapped in pyruvate. The complete breakdown of glucose tocarbon dioxide requires the oxidation of pyruvate thorough theKrebs Cycle and electron transport system (ETS).When the Krebs Cycle and ETS are working at capacity (regardless of the presence of oxygen [cite journal |last=Sparks |first=Steven |year=1997 |month=July |title=The Purpose of Glycolysis ("Letter") |journal=Science |volume=277 |issue=5325 |pages=pp. 459–463 |id= |url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/long/277/5325/459b |doi=10.1126/science.277.5325.459b |pmid=9254411 ] ), further local ATP needs can be achieved by increasing glycolysis. The resulting pyruvate is converted to Lactic Acid through Lactic Acid Fermentation.
The conversion of pyruvate to lactate regenerates NAD+, which allows glycolysis to continue. Lactate diffuses out of the cell and into the
blood . The lactate in the bloodstream is converted back into pyruvate in the liver, for use when oxygen is once again present.fact|date=February 2008Certain cells, such as
cardiac muscle cells, are highly permeable to lactate.fact|date=February 2008 Lactate is converted into pyruvate and metabolised normally (ie: via the Krebs Cycle). Since these cells are highly oxygenated, it is unlikely that lactate would accumulate (as is the case in oxygen-starved muscle cells). This also allows circulatingglucose to be available to muscle cells.Any excess lactate is taken up by the
liver , to pyruvate and then toglucose . This, along with the production of lactate from glucose in muscle cells constitutes theCori cycle .Phosphofructokinase (PFK) is inhibited by a lowpH and this prevents the formation of excess lactate and/or lacticacidosis (sudden drop inblood pH). PFK catalyses an irreversible step inglycolysis .fact|date=February 2008References
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