Krebs Cycle (IMPORTANT)

Question 1

What happens in the Krebs Cycle?

Answer 1

So you have Citrate. This Citrate gets converted into an Isocitrate (isomer of citrate).

Afterwards, the isocitrate gets converted to an alpha-ketoglutarate. It loses a carbon during this change which causes the release of CO2. It also causes NAD to convert into NADH due to Oxidation.

Another Carbon gets taken away causing the release of CO2 and the conversion of NAD to NADH. We also now only have 4 carbons. This goes onto form Succinyl-CoA.

This then gets turned into Succinate. In the process, 1 ATP is formed.

The Succinate then gets turned into Fumarate, causing FAD and FADH2 to be formed as a byproduct during the process (also high energy)

Fumarate turns into Malate because water gets added to it.

Malate turns into Oxalacetate. NAD is also turned into NADH+ due to oxidation.

Acetyl-CoA gets added to the Oxalacetate which makes Citrate, bringing us back to square one.

Question 2

What is an easy way to remember this process?

Answer 2

Citrate Is Krebs Special Substrate For Making Oxalacetate (Citrate, Isocitrate, Ketoglutarate, Succinyl-CoA, Succinate, Fumarate, Malate, Oxalacetate).

Another way is:

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Question 3

So what does this process leave us with?

Answer 3

It leaves us with 2 ATP, 6 NADH and 2 FADH2+ (this is because with one glucose molecule, everything is doubled).