The citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle, occurs in mitochondria during aerobic cellular respiration. It is the key metabolic pathway that generates energy in the form of ATP and reduced cofactors like NADH and FADH2. The cycle involves the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to carbon dioxide. Acetyl-CoA condenses with oxaloacetate to form citrate, which undergoes a series of chemical reactions catalyzed by specific enzymes, resulting in the oxidation of acetyl-CoA, the production of carbon dioxide, and the generation of reduced cofactors that fuel the electron transport chain to