Citric Acid Cycle

Acetyl CoA / Acetyl coenzyme A

The entry compound for the citric acid cycle in cellular respiration, formed from a two-carbon fragment of pyruvate attached to a coenzyme

Citric Acid Cycle

A series of chemical reactions in the mitochondria that processes acetyl-CoA (derived from pyruvate) to produce energy; it generates high-energy molecules, including 3 NADH, 1 FADH₂, and 1 ATP for each turn, while releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product

FADH₂

An important coenzyme in cellular respiration. It acts as an electron carrier, shuttling high-energy electrons to the electron transport chain in the mitochondria, where it helps generate ATP by contributing to the production of a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis

Location of the Citric Acid cycle

Occurs in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells

Energy Production

The NADH and FADH₂ generated carry electrons to the electron transport chain, where they contribute to ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation