The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is a common pathway for metabolism of all fuels. Located in the mitochondrion, the TCA cycle, also known as the Krebs or citric acid cycle, is a common pathway for metabolism of all fuels. It oxidatively strips electrons from fat, carbohydrate and protein fuels, producing the majority of the reduced coenzymes that are used for the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the electron transport chain. Although the TCA cycle does not use oxygen in any of its reactions, it requires oxidative metabolism in the mitochondrion for re-oxidation of reduced coenzymes. The TCA cycle has two major functions, energy production and biosynthesis (Fig. 13.1).
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