Question

What connects glycolysis to the citric acid cycle? Describe the phase

Answer 1

Question#15656

What connects glycolysis to the citric acid cycle? Describe the phase

Answer:

Glycolysis → Pyruvate Decarboxylation → Citric Acid Cycle

One of the primary sources of acetyl-CoA is sugars that are broken down by glycolysis to produce pyruvate that in turn is decarboxylated by the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase generating acetyl-CoA according to the following reaction scheme:

$$\mathrm{CH_3C(=O)C(=O)O^- (pyruvate) + HSCoA + NAD^+ \rightarrow}$$ $$\mathrm{CH_3C(=O)SCoA (acetyl-CoA) + NADH + H^+ + CO_2}$$

The product of this reaction, acetyl-CoA, is the starting point for the citric acid cycle.