I had the following question on a bio test covering cell respiration and glycolysis, but I'm not sure if I agree with the answer.
When a molecule loses hydrogen atoms (as opposed to hydrogen ions), it becomes
B) oxidised
According to my textbook (Principles of Life, 2nd Edition), oxidation is defined as
Relative loss of electrons in a chemical reaction; either outright removal to form an ion, or the sharing of electrons with substances having a greater affinity for them, such as oxygen. Most oxidations, including biologial ones, are associated with the liberation of energy.
Hydrogen atoms have one proton and one electron in their typical state. If a molecule is losing hydrogen atoms, then its net charge wouldn't change. For example, if a (hypothetical) molecule had 7 protons and 6 electrons, it would have a charge of $+1$. If it then lost a hydrogen atom, it would now have 6 protons and 5 electrons, which still yields a net charge of $+1$. Am I missing some critical piece of information, or is this still considered oxidation?
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