Science
What is The Krebs cycle?
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.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains the krebs cycle.
Key things to understand
- 1It runs inside mitochondria, the cell's powerhouses.
- 2It processes a molecule made from broken-down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
- 3Each turn releases energy carriers plus carbon dioxide (which you breathe out).
- 4Those energy carriers then drive the cell's main energy (ATP) production.
- 5It is also called the citric acid cycle.
Frequently asked questions
- 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.