Define oxidation and reduction and indicate the importance of these reactions in metabolism.
Define oxidation and reduction and indicate the importance of these reactions in
Metabolism is a set of chemical reaction that takes place inside the cells and is required by the organisms to stay alive. Metabolism can be classified into two groups for ease of understanding: Catabolism and Anabolism.
When one molecule loses an electron and increases the oxidation state of an atom, ion, or molecule, known as oxidation, the other molecule gains an electron (reduction) decrease in the oxidation state atom, an ion known as reduction. The primary reservoir of biological energy is oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions.
Oxidation and reduction reactions help provide metabolic energy because most of the atoms' energy and used to fuel cell functions is in high-energy electrons. As a process absorbs energy, chemical energy is made and freely available for ATP synthesis by one atom giving up electrons (becoming oxidized) and another accepting electrons (becomes reduced). For example, aerobic glucose metabolism.
The carbon in glucose undergoes an oxidation state change from two to four. During the process, elemental oxygen transitions from its oxidation state of zero to an oxidation state of two.
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