Citric Acid Cycle

These flashcards cover the key concepts and terminology related to the Citric Acid Cycle (TCA Cycle) as presented in the lecture notes.

Citric Acid Cycle

The central metabolic hub that takes place inside mitochondria, involved in the oxidative metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Acetyl-CoA

A thioester formed from pyruvate through oxidative decarboxylation, serving as a key starting material for the citric acid cycle.

NADH

An electron carrier that, under aerobic conditions, is worth 2.5 ATP and is regenerated back to NAD+ under anaerobic conditions.

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase (PDH) Complex

An enormous enzyme complex that catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, requiring five co-enzymes.

Coenzymes of PDH

The five co-enzymes required for the PDH complex include TPP, lipoic acid, FAD, CoA-SH, and NAD.

Decarboxylation

The first step in the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA; involves the removal of a carboxyl group.

FAD

A coenzyme that plays a role in the citric acid cycle, particularly in the reaction catalyzed by succinate dehydrogenase.

GTP

A nucleotide triphosphate formed in the citric acid cycle, generated from GDP and inorganic phosphate by succinyl-CoA synthetase.

Oxaloacetate

A four-carbon molecule that is regenerated in each turn of the citric acid cycle, allowing it to continue functioning.

Fumarate

An intermediate in the citric acid cycle formed from succinate through oxidation.