Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry
Alcohol
dehydrogenase:
An
enzyme
that
oxidizes
an
alcohol
to an
aldehyde
or
ketone
, by transferring a
hydride ion
and a
proton
from the
alcohol
to a
coenzyme
such as
NAD
+
. In the reverse reaction,
alcohol
dehydrogenase uses
NADH
to
reduce
an
aldehyde
or
ketone
to an
alcohol
.
Ethanol
metabolism
in yeast or the human liver begins with
oxidation
by
alcohol
dehydrogenase and
NAD
+
to give
acetaldehyde
and
NADH
.
Related terms:
Substrate
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