Question

The major products of the citric acid cycle are Choose one:

a) NADH and ATP.
b) H2O and ATP.
c) CO2 and NADH.
d) pyruvate and ATP.

Answer 1

The major products of the citric acid cycle are NADH, FADH2, ATP, and CO2. Each turn of the cycle results in three NADH, one FADH2, two CO2, and one ATP or GTP, with option (c) 'CO2 and NADH' being the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The major products of the citric acid cycle are NADH and FADH2 as well as ATP and CO2. During the cycle, each acetyl group fed into the cycle results in the formation of three NADH molecules and one FADH2 molecule. These molecules carry electrons to the electron transport chain, where ATP is produced through oxidative phosphorylation. Additionally, for each acetyl group, two carbon dioxide molecules are released, and one GTP or ATP is generated through substrate-level phosphorylation. Therefore, the correct answer is option (c) CO2 and NADH. The citric acid cycle does not produce pyruvate; rather, pyruvate is converted to acetyl CoA before entering the cycle.