⚡️Link Reaction

The link reaction is the stage after glycolysis where pyruvate, a three-carbon molecule, is converted into acetyl coenzyme A, a two-carbon molecule.

• From pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A, a carbon is lost in the form of carbon dioxide `CO2CO2​. This process is called decarboxylation.

• NAD comes in to steal hydrogen from pyruvate, becoming reduced to NADH.

• Since pyruvate loses hydrogen, it becomes oxidized. This makes the link reaction also an oxidative decarboxylation reaction.

• The acyl group formed from pyruvate joins with coenzyme A to temporarily stabilize it before it enters the Krebs cycle.