Aerobic Respiration: The Krebs Cycle
- The Krebs cycle (sometimes called the citric acid cycle) consists of a series of enzyme-controlled reactions
- The Krebs cycle takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria
- 2 carbon (2C) Acetyl CoA enters the circular pathway from the link reaction in glucose metabolism
- Acetyl CoA formed from fatty acids (after the breakdown of lipids) and amino acids enters directly into the Krebs Cycle from other metabolic pathways
- 4 carbon (4C) oxaloacetate accepts the 2C acetyl fragment from acetyl CoA to form the 6 carbon (6C) citrate
- Coenzyme A is released in this reaction
- Citrate is then converted back to oxaloacetate through a series of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions
The Krebs Cycle uses acetyl CoA from the link reaction and the regeneration of oxaloacetate to produce reduced NAD, reduced FAD and ATP
Regeneration of Oxaloacetate
- Oxaloacetate is regenerated in the Krebs cycle through a series of redox reactions
- Decarboxylation of citrate
- Releasing 2 CO2 as waste gas
- Oxidation (dehydrogenation) of citrate
- Releasing H atoms that reduce coenzymes NAD and FAD
- 8H + 3NAD + FAD → 3NADH + 3H+ + FADH2
- Substrate-level phosphorylation
- A phosphate is transferred from one of the intermediates to ADP, forming 1 ATP
Exam Tip
The Krebs cycle is often referred to as cyclical or circular. This is because the acceptor molecule oxaloacetate is regenerated throughout the reaction so that it can start all over again by adding another acetyl CoA. You may be asked to name the important molecules in the Krebs cycle like oxaloacetate. It is also worth noting how the number of carbon atoms in the substrate molecule changes as the cycle progresses.
