NADPH stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.
NADPH is a crucial reducing agent (electron carrier) used in various anabolic reactions, such as lipid and nucleic acid synthesis. It's formed when NADP+ accepts a hydride ion (H-) during reactions like those in the pentose phosphate pathway or by ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase in photosynthesis. Essentially, NADPH provides the reducing power necessary for building complex molecules within cells.
The core difference between NADPH and its close relative NADH is the presence of an extra phosphate group on the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide portion of the molecule. While NADH primarily functions in catabolic pathways, particularly in cellular respiration (generating ATP), NADPH is mainly involved in anabolic pathways. This difference in function is largely due to the cellular concentrations of NAD+/NADH and NADP+/NADPH, which favor different enzyme interactions.
