Tricarboxylic acid cycle

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Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle

The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (pronounced: tri-kar-box-ill-ic acid cycle), also known as the Citric Acid Cycle or the Krebs Cycle, is a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into CO2 and chemical energy.

Etymology

The term "Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle" is derived from the chemical structure of citric acid, which has three carboxyl groups. The cycle is also named after Sir Hans Adolf Krebs, a German-British biochemist who first identified the sequence of reactions in 1937.

Process

The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle begins with the condensation of acetyl-CoA with oxaloacetate to form citrate. This is followed by a series of transformations that regenerate oxaloacetate, allowing the cycle to continue. The cycle's eight steps are catalyzed by eight different enzymes.

Related Terms

  • Acetyl-CoA: A molecule that participates in many biochemical reactions in protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Its main function is to deliver the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle to be oxidized for energy production.
  • Oxaloacetic Acid: A four-carbon molecule found in the mitochondria that condenses with Acetyl CoA to form citrate in the first step of the Krebs Cycle.
  • Citrate: A form of citric acid which is a key intermediate in metabolism and the biosynthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol.
  • Hans Adolf Krebs: A German-British biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953 for his discovery of the citric acid cycle.

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