What is krebs

The Krebs cycle, also called the citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle, is a metabolic pathway that oxidizes an acetyl group and transfers energy to carrier molecules. In eukaryotic cells, most of its reactions occur in the mitochondrial matrix.

Meaning and context

The cycle combines an acetyl group with an existing acceptor molecule, processes the resulting compounds, and regenerates that acceptor. Carbon dioxide is released, and reduced carriers such as NADH are produced for other cellular processes.

Examples and usage

Per acetyl-CoA in the standard overview, the cycle produces three NADH, one FADH₂, and one GTP or ATP equivalent, along with two carbon dioxide molecules. This is distinct from the full yield of respiration per glucose.

What to check

The cycle is not located in a mitochondrion in organisms that lack mitochondria; their organization differs. Also distinguish the cycle from glycolysis and the electron-transport chain. They connect metabolically but are not one identical location or reaction.

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