NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) is a molecule that carries electrons and energy within living cells. It is produced during metabolic processes such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and cellular respiration, where it temporarily stores energy extracted from sugars and other organic compounds.
In plants, NADH helps transfer electrons to the mitochondrial electron transport chain, where the energy is used to produce ATP, the primary energy currency of the cell. This ATP powers processes such as nutrient uptake, growth, maintenance, and cellular repair. NADH is continuously converted back and forth between its oxidized form (NAD⁺) and reduced form (NADH) as cells move energy through metabolic pathways.
NADH is distinct from NADPH, a related molecule used primarily in anabolic processes such as photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and the synthesis of sugars, fats, and other cellular components.
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