Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why is the tricarboxylic acid cycle also called the Krebs cycle or citric acid cycle?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
mitochondrion
Mitochondria (red) are found throughout the cytoplasm of almost all eukaryotic cells (cell nucleus is shown in blue; cytoskeleton is shown in yellow).
The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is referred to by multiple names due to its chemical characteristics and the scientist who discovered it:
- Citric acid cycle: The cycle is initiated when acetyl coenzyme A reacts with oxaloacetate to form citric acid, which is the first intermediate produced in the pathway.12
- Krebs cycle: This name honors the German-born British biochemist Sir Hans Adolf Krebs, who proposed the cycle in 1937 and was later awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize for his foundational work in elucidating these metabolic reactions.12
- Tricarboxylic acid cycle: This term describes the chemical nature of the cycle, as several of the intermediate compounds involved in the process are tricarboxylic acids.12
Occurring within the mitochondria, this series of reactions is essential for cellular respiration, as it facilitates the breakdown of organic fuel molecules to generate energy for the cell.12