Prior to entering the Krebs cycle, the pyruvic acid molecules are altered. Each three-carbon pyruvic acid molecule undergoes conversion to a substance called acetyl-coenzyme A, or acetyl-CoA. During the process, the pyruvic acid molecule is broken down by an enzyme, one carbon atom is released in the form of carbon dioxide, and the remaining two carbon atoms are combined with a coenzyme called coenzyme A.
This combination forms acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA enters the Krebs cycle by combining with a four-carbon acid called oxaloacetic acid. The combination forms the six-carbon acid called citric acid.
Citric acid undergoes a series of enzyme-catalyzed conversions. The conversions, which involve up to ten chemical reactions, are all brought about by enzymes. In many of the steps, high-energy electrons are released to NAD. Also, in one of the reactions, enough energy is released to synthesize a molecule of ATP. Because for each glucose molecule there are two pyruvic acid molecules entering the system, two ATP molecules are formed.
The product of this reaction is a two-carbon molecule called acetyl-CoA. The third carbon from pyruvic acid combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, which is released as a waste product. High-energy electrons are also released and captured in NADH. This produces citric acid, which has six carbon atoms. This is why the Krebs cycle is also called the citric acid cycle. After citric acid forms, it goes through a series of reactions that release energy.
Carbon dioxide is also released as a waste product of these reactions. This molecule is needed for the next turn through the cycle.
Two turns are needed because glycolysis produces two pyruvic acid molecules when it splits glucose. After the second turn through the Krebs cycle, the original glucose molecule has been broken down completely.
All six of its carbon atoms have combined with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This energy is used in substrate-level phosphorylation during the conversion of the succinyl group to succinate to form either guanine triphosphate GTP or ATP.
There are two forms of the enzyme, called isoenzymes, for this step, depending upon the type of animal tissue in which they are found. One form is found in tissues that use large amounts of ATP, such as heart and skeletal muscle. This form produces ATP. The second form of the enzyme is found in tissues that have a high number of anabolic pathways, such as liver.
This form produces GTP. In particular, protein synthesis primarily uses GTP. Step 6. Step six is a dehydration process that converts succinate into fumarate. Unlike NADH, this carrier remains attached to the enzyme and transfers the electrons to the electron transport chain directly. This process is made possible by the localization of the enzyme catalyzing this step inside the inner membrane of the mitochondrion. Step 7. Water is added to fumarate during step seven, and malate is produced.
The last step in the citric acid cycle regenerates oxaloacetate by oxidizing malate. Another molecule of NADH is produced. Two carbon atoms come into the citric acid cycle from each acetyl group, representing four out of the six carbons of one glucose molecule. Two carbon dioxide molecules are released on each turn of the cycle; however, these do not necessarily contain the most recently-added carbon atoms.
The two acetyl carbon atoms will eventually be released on later turns of the cycle; thus, all six carbon atoms from the original glucose molecule are eventually incorporated into carbon dioxide. These carriers will connect with the last portion of aerobic respiration to produce ATP molecules. Several of the intermediate compounds in the citric acid cycle can be used in synthesizing non-essential amino acids; therefore, the cycle is amphibolic both catabolic and anabolic.
In order for pyruvate, the product of glycolysis, to enter the next pathway, it must undergo several changes to become acetyl Coenzyme A acetyl CoA. Acetyl CoA is a molecule that is further converted to oxaloacetate, which enters the citric acid cycle Krebs cycle.
The conversion of pyruvate to acetyl CoA is a three-step process. Breakdown of Pyruvate : Each pyruvate molecule loses a carboxylic group in the form of carbon dioxide.
A carboxyl group is removed from pyruvate, releasing a molecule of carbon dioxide into the surrounding medium. Note: carbon dioxide is one carbon attached to two oxygen atoms and is one of the major end products of cellular respiration.
The result of this step is a two-carbon hydroxyethyl group bound to the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase; the lost carbon dioxide is the first of the six carbons from the original glucose molecule to be removed. This step proceeds twice for every molecule of glucose metabolized remember: there are two pyruvate molecules produced at the end of glycolysis ; thus, two of the six carbons will have been removed at the end of both of these steps.
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