Final answer:
Acetyl CoA formation is the process that connects glycolysis with the citric acid cycle, via the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl CoA which then enters the Krebs cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that connects glycolysis and the citric acid cycle is called acetyl CoA formation. During this process, the three-carbon pyruvate molecule, which is generated during glycolysis, moves from the cytoplasm into the mitochondrial matrix. Here, it is converted by the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase into a two-carbon molecule known as acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA), which is an oxidative decarboxylation reaction that also releases carbon dioxide and captures high-energy electrons in NADH. The acetyl CoA then enters the Krebs cycle by combining with a four-carbon molecule, oxaloacetate, to form citric acid, thereby linking the process of glycolysis with the citric acid cycle.