noun
- a salt or ester of pyruvic acid, especially important in cellular metabolism and energy production
Usage: biochemistry
Examples
- Glucose is broken down into pyruvate during glycolysis.
- The pyruvate molecules enter the mitochondria for further processing.
- Pyruvate is converted to acetyl-CoA in cellular respiration.
- Muscle cells produce pyruvate when they break down sugar for energy.
- The researcher measured pyruvate levels in the blood samples.
- Pyruvate plays a crucial role in the body’s metabolic pathways.