What is the role of dehydrogenases in cellular respiration?

Dehydrogenases play a critical role in cellular respiration by catalyzing the oxidation of substrates. During this process, they facilitate the removal of electrons from a substrate, thereby oxidizing it. These electrons are often transferred to electron carriers, such as NAD+ or FAD, which are reduced to form NADH and FADH2, respectively. This transfer of electrons is essential as it helps drive the subsequent stages of cellular respiration, particularly in the electron transport chain where these carriers donate their electrons, ultimately leading to the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.

While it is accurate that dehydrogenases contribute to the conversion of NAD+ into NADH, this is a specific aspect of their function in oxidation reactions, rather than the overarching role. The core function of these enzymes is to catalyze oxidation processes, which is fundamental to the entire mechanism of energy extraction from organic molecules during cellular respiration.