Pyruvate - Definition and Overview

Pyruvate (CH₃COCOO⁻) is the ionized form of pyruvic acid. It is an important chemical compound in biochemistry. It is the output of the breakdown of glucose known as glycolysis, and (in aerobic respiration) the main input for the citric acid cycle. In anaerobic respiration, pyruvate from glycolysis can be converted to lactate using the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase and the coenzyme NADH (in lactate fermentation), or to acetaldehyde and then to ethanol (in alcoholic fermentation).