Which of these is the oxidized form of the electron carrier and thus has less energy?Group of answer choicesNAD+NADHNADPHO2

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the electron carriers mentioned in the options.
2. Determine which of these carriers is in its oxidized form.

Relevant Concepts

• Electron carriers are molecules that transport electrons during cellular respiration and other metabolic processes.
• The oxidized form of an electron carrier typically has less energy because it has lost electrons.

Analysis and Detail

• NAD+ is the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and has less energy compared to its reduced form.
• NADH is the reduced form and thus has more energy due to the presence of additional electrons.
• NADPH is the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) and has more energy than NADP+ (its oxidized form).
• O2 (oxygen) is not an electron carrier but is involved in the electron transport chain.

Verify and Summarize

The options provide two oxidized forms (NAD+ and NADP+) and their corresponding reduced forms (NADH and NADPH). However, only NAD+ is the oxidized form of its specific electron carrier.

Final Answer

The oxidized form of the electron carrier, which thus has less energy, is NAD+.