Questions of the Week_26 Jan 06

Why does the following equation have an extra H+ on both sides?

NAD+ + 2H+ + 2e- → H+ + NADH

Can we simplify it to NAD+ + H+ + 2e- → + NADH ?

Yes, you can simplify the chemical equation as you would for chemistry.
The original equation is given to show you what actually happen/ what are needed for the reaction to occur.
* There is no need for you to memorize the equation for exam purpose.

Can we just write the following abbreviations without making reference to the actual terms: NAD+/NADH , FAD/FADH2 , RuBP, Rubisco

Not for all.

Yes to NAD+/NADH , FAD/FADH2 because they are ubiquitous

FYI:
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)
FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide)
NADH or FADH2 is referred to as the reduced form of the above mentioned.

However for RuBP and Rubisco, please give the full term first before launching into their respective short forms e.g. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and RuBP carboxylase (Rubisco)