Citric acid cycle

Definition

The citric acid cycle, also known as the TCA cycle (TCA = tricarboxylic citric acid) or the Krebs cycle, is a series of chemical reactions that occur inside the cell that is part of the process of respiration to generate energy (both aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration). In eukaryotic cells, this cycle occurs inside the mitochondrion, whereas in prokaryotic cells, this cycle occurs directly within the cytoplasm.