Final answer:
The Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle or the tricarboxylic acid cycle, is the second stage of cellular respiration where pyruvate is converted into CO2, NADH, FADH2, and ATP. It was named after Hans Krebs, who identified the cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Krebs cycle is also called the citric acid cycle or the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. It is the second stage of cellular respiration and takes place in the matrix of the mitochondrion.
This cycle is crucial for transforming pyruvate, which comes from glycolysis, into carbon dioxide (CO2) and generating high-energy molecules such as NADH, FADH2, and a small amount of ATP. Hans Krebs was the scientist who first described this cycle in the 1930s.
The Krebs cycle begins with the conversion of pyruvate to Acetyl CoA, and during the cycle, several energy-carrying molecules are produced. Each turn of the Krebs cycle results in the production of two carbon dioxide molecules, three NADH molecules, one FADH2 molecule, and one ATP (or GTP) molecule.
The energy transferred to NADH and FADH2 is then used in the next stage of cellular respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, to generate a significant amount of ATP.