KREB CYCLE

Pyruvate Oxidation

The process by which pyruvate is converted into acetyl CoA before entering the Krebs Cycle.

Krebs Cycle

A closed loop biochemical pathway in the mitochondrial matrix that generates energy through the oxidation of acetyl CoA.

Citric Acid Cycle

Another name for the Krebs Cycle, named after citric acid, the first compound formed.

NADH

An electron carrier formed during the oxidation of substrates in cellular respiration.

Coenzyme A (CoA)

A coenzyme that helps transport acetyl groups into the Krebs Cycle.

Acetyl CoA

The molecule produced from the oxidation of pyruvate that enters the Krebs Cycle.

FADH2

An electron carrier produced during the Krebs Cycle, which carries electrons to the electron transport chain.

GTP (Guanosine Triphosphate)

A molecule similar to ATP, produced during the conversion of succinyl CoA to succinate in the Krebs Cycle.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

A byproduct of the Krebs Cycle, released during the decarboxylation steps.

Energy Carrier

Molecules like NADH and FADH2 that store energy for use in cellular processes.

Oxaloacetate

A four-carbon compound that combines with acetyl CoA to form citrate in the Krebs Cycle.

Citrate

The six-carbon compound formed from the initial reaction of acetyl CoA and oxaloacetate.

Isomerization

The process in which citrate is transformed into its isomer, isocitrate.

Decarboxylation

The removal of carbon dioxide from a molecule, important in several steps of the Krebs Cycle.

Hydration reaction

A reaction in which water is added to a compound, such as in the conversion of fumarate to malate.

Biochemical pathway

A series of interconnected enzymatic reactions in metabolic processes.

ATP Synthesizing Steps

Points in the Krebs Cycle that lead to the generation of ATP or GTP.

Electron transport chain

A series of protein complexes that transfer electrons from NADH and FADH2 to generate ATP.