Krebs cycle

American  

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a cycle of enzyme-catalyzed reactions in living cells that is the final series of reactions of aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids, and by which carbon dioxide is produced, oxygen is reduced, and ATP is formed.

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Krebs cycle British  

noun

1. Also called: citric acid cycle.   tricarboxylic acid cycle.  a stage of tissue respiration: a series of biochemical reactions occurring in mitochondria in the presence of oxygen by which acetate, derived from the breakdown of foodstuffs, is converted to carbon dioxide and water, with the release of energy

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Krebs cycle Scientific  

1. A series of chemical reactions that occur in most aerobic organisms and are part of the process of aerobic cell metabolism, by which glucose and other molecules are broken down in the presence of oxygen into carbon dioxide and water to release chemical energy in the form of ATP. The Krebs cycle is the intermediate stage, occurring between glycolysis and phosphorylation, and results in the enzymatic breaking down, rearranging, and recombination of byproducts of glycolysis. The combination of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle ultimately allows 36 ATP molecules to be produced from the energy contained in one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen.

2. Also called citric acid cycle

3. See more at cellular respiration

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Etymology

Origin of Krebs cycle

First recorded in 1940–45; after H.A. Krebs

Compare meaning

How does krebs-cycle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glycolysis vs. Krebs cycle

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Krebs cycle

One outcome was an increase in metabolites such as mesaconate, which participates in the Krebs cycle, a fundamental energy-producing pathway in cells.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 14, 2025

"Succinate is not a compound that people can now take as a treatment, but it's proof-of-principle that you can re-energize the Krebs cycle," says Lipton.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2024

“Asking students questions like, ‘Tell me in three sentences what is the Krebs cycle in chemistry?’

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

The acetate, it turns out, was processed through a metabolic cycle known as the Krebs cycle.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 7, 2023

At the beginning of the Krebs cycle, the three-carbon compound known as pyruvic acid created from glycolysis passes through the two membrane walls of the mitochondrion.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2018