What is produced during the Krebs cycle?

During the Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, multiple important products are generated, which include carbon dioxide, ATP, and electron carriers such as NADH and FADH2.

The cycle begins with the combination of acetyl-CoA (derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) with oxaloacetate to form citrate. As the cycle progresses, citrate undergoes a series of transformations where it is oxidized, leading to the release of carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This step is crucial because it illustrates how the cycle contributes to the metabolism of cellular respiration by removing carbon in the form of CO2.

Additionally, for each turn of the Krebs cycle, one molecule of ATP is produced through substrate-level phosphorylation. Moreover, the cycle generates high-energy electron carriers (NADH and FADH2), which play a vital role in the electron transport chain later in cellular respiration, enabling the production of additional ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. The production of these carriers also showcases the cycle's importance in transferring energy from the oxidized substrates to the final ATP production stage.

This combination of outputs demonstrates the Krebs cycle's critical role in cellular respiration, emphasizing its contribution not just to energy production, but also to the overall metabolic processes