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What are the products of the second phase of the citric acid cycle?

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Final answer:

The second phase of the Citric Acid Cycle results in the production of carbon dioxide, NADH, FADH2, and ATP or GTP, as it oxidizes acetyl groups and transfers energy to electron carriers like NAD+ and FAD.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Citric Acid Cycle, also known as the Krebs Cycle, generates several key products through its biochemical reactions. In each turn of the cycle, one acetyl CoA molecule enters and gets metabolized, producing various products. The second phase outputs include carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is a waste product, and energy-rich molecules such as NADH, FADH₂, and either ATP or GTP, depending on the cell type. This phase is crucial as it captures the energy released from the oxidation of acetyl groups in forms usable by the cell. This energy transfer is facilitated through the reduction of electron carriers, specifically three molecules of NAD+ to NADH and one molecule of FAD to FADH₂. Additionally, one molecule of ATP (or GTP) is produced via substrate-level phosphorylation. These high-energy electron carriers further funnel their electrons into the electron transport chain to produce more ATP, the main energy currency of cells.

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