AP BIOLOGY

CELL RESPIRATION

THE KREBS CYCLE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
True or False:During the Krebs cycle, pyruvic acid is broken down into carbon dioxide in a series of energy-extracting reactions.
A
False
B
True
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer and Explanation: The citric acid cycle breaks down pyruvic acid into carbon dioxide and produces NADH, FADH, and ATP. The NADH and FADH produced during the Krebs cycle pass their electrons down the respiratory electron transport chain.

Detailed explanation-2: -Instead, the pyruvic acid breaks down to acetylcoenzyme A, which enters the Krebs cycle and the electron transport system and is eventually processed to form water plus carbon dioxide plus a large amount of ATP.

Detailed explanation-3: -Before the Krebs cycle begins, pyruvate, which has three carbon atoms, is split apart and combined with an enzyme known as CoA, which stands for coenzyme A. The product of this reaction is a two-carbon molecule called acetyl-CoA.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hence the correct answer is the option ‘The cycle starts with condensation of an acetyl group (acetyl CoA) with pyruvic acid to yield citric acid’.

There is 1 question to complete.