Citric Acid Cycle Flashcards
Why does the Citric Acid Cycle occur in the matrix of the mitochondria?
Each step of the CAC require a specific enzyme to facilitate the chemical reaction.
The enzymes needed are located in the matrix of the mitochondria, so that is where the CAC reactions occur.
What is the starting input (reactant) for CAC and what is the final output (end products)?
Acetyl CoA is the input required to start CAC.
Important outputs are the reduced coenzymes FADH2 and NADH.
Each time the CAC is completed, 3 NADH and 1 FADH2 are made.
Oxaloacetate is the product on the final step of CAC. Creation of oxaloacetate in the last step and its use as a reactant in step one of CAC, makes it a cyclical process
Where does the input required for the CAC come from?
Acetyl CoA comes from carb breakdown (glycolysis), lipid breakdown (beta oxidation) or protein breakdown (transamination).
What is the final output of the CAC used for?
For what purpose?
The electron rich coenzymes produced in the CAC (1 FADH2 and 3 NADH) are taken to the electron transport chain, where they off-load their electrons to begin the
electron transport chain (ETC).
Why is it necessary for us to perform the CAC?
Why is it important?
The CAC produces the electron rich coenzymes (1 FADH2 and 3 NADH) which are needed to start the next step in the common metabolic pathway, the electron
transport chain.
The CAC is needed to continue the bioenergetic pathway, with the last step of the pathway creating ample ATP.
The CAC is under the control of enzymatic regulation at several steps throughout the reaction.
Why is enzymatic regulation of the CAC required?
Enzymatic control of the CAC allows the CAC to be performed when ATP is required, whereas when there is already a lot of ATP the CAC will stop.
The enzymes are needed to facilitate each of the CAC reactions.
