When an individual is exercising heavily and when the muscle becomes oxygen-deprived, muscle cells convert pyruvate to lactate.
What happens to the lactate in skeletal muscle cells? a. It is converted to NAD+.
b. It produces CO2 and water.
c. It is taken to the liver and converted back to pyruvate.
d. It reduces FADH2 to FAD+.
e. It is converted to alcohol.
In anaerobic conditions or when the oxygen is limited, the pyruvate enters the anaerobic respiration.
During heavy exercise when the ATP is required in high amount then then oxygen is also required in high amount but due to lack of oxygen, pyruvate formed as a result of the glycolysis is converted to lactate. Lactate acts as electron acceptor taking the role of the oxygen.
This lactic acid diffuses into the blood plasma which is then carried to the liver. In the liver Cori cycle converts the lactate back to the pyruvate form or glucose form.
