 Lactic acid (source code)

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= Lactic acid
{title2=$\mathrm{CH_3CHOHCOOH}$}

<Lactic acid> is 2-hydroxypropanoic acid, $\mathrm{CH_3CH(OH)COOH}$. Its central carbon is a stereogenic centre, and its <conjugate base> is <lactate>.

In <lactic acid fermentation>, reduction of <pyruvate> to <lactate> regenerates <NAD+> from <NADH>. That regeneration allows <glycolysis> to continue when the pathway cannot rely on sufficiently rapid respiratory oxidation of <NADH>.

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