Krebs cycle

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a cycle of enzyme-catalyzed reactions in living cells that is the final series of reactions of aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids, and by which carbon dioxide is produced, oxygen is reduced, and ATP is formed.

Krebs cycle

noun

1. a stage of tissue respiration: a series of biochemical reactions occurring in mitochondria in the presence of oxygen by which acetate, derived from the breakdown of foodstuffs, is converted to carbon dioxide and water, with the release of energy Also calledcitric acid cycletricarboxylic acid cycle

Krebs cycle

1. A series of chemical reactions that occur in most aerobic organisms and are part of the process of aerobic cell metabolism, by which glucose and other molecules are broken down in the presence of oxygen into carbon dioxide and water to release chemical energy in the form of ATP. The Krebs cycle is the intermediate stage, occurring between glycolysis and phosphorylation, and results in the enzymatic breaking down, rearranging, and recombination of byproducts of glycolysis. The combination of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle ultimately allows 36 ATP molecules to be produced from the energy contained in one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen.
2. Also called citric acid cycle
3. See more at cellular respiration

Word History and Origins

Origin of Krebs cycle¹

First recorded in 1940–45; after H.A. Krebs

Word History and Origins

Origin of Krebs cycle¹

C20: named after Hans Adolf Krebs (1900–81), German-born British biochemist

Example Sentences

The researchers found the neurons had a disrupted Krebs cycle -- the cellular process in mitochondria that produces most of the body's crucial molecular power source, ATP.

From Science Daily

“Asking students questions like, ‘Tell me in three sentences what is the Krebs cycle in chemistry?’

From Seattle Times

And with each full turn of the Krebs cycle, plants release two molecules of CO2, leaving no carbon atoms for the plant to build leaves, roots, or stems.

From Science Magazine

The application includes nearly 200 templates for everything from blood vessels to the Krebs cycle.

From Nature

Rerun the tape of evolution, and DNA, RNA, ATP, the Krebs cycle — the rigmarole of Biology 101 — would probably arise again, here or in distant worlds.

From New York Times