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What is the Krebs cycle?

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Quick answer

The Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions your cells use to extract energy from food. It takes broken-down nutrients and, step by step, releases energy and carbon dioxide — a central hub in how living things turn food into usable fuel.

Key things to understand

  1. It runs inside mitochondria, the cell's powerhouses.
  2. It processes a molecule made from broken-down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
  3. Each turn releases energy carriers plus carbon dioxide (which you breathe out).
  4. Those energy carriers then drive the cell's main energy (ATP) production.
  5. It is also called the citric acid cycle.

People also ask

What does the Krebs cycle do?
It extracts energy from digested food molecules, capturing it in carriers that power the cell, while releasing carbon dioxide as waste.
Where does the Krebs cycle happen?
Inside mitochondria, the structures in your cells that generate most of their usable energy.
Why is it called a cycle?
Because the starting molecule is regenerated at the end of each round, ready to accept the next fuel molecule and repeat.