Question

How many TCA cycles are required during the complete oxidation of 2 sucrose?

Answer 1

TCA cycle:

1. TCA cycle, also called as Krebs Cycle or citric acid cycle is the second stage in cellular respiration.
2. The TCA cycle plays a major role in the breakdown of sugars like glucose, fatty acids, and some amino acids.
3. Before these large molecules can enter the TCA cycle, they must be degraded into a two-carbon compound called acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA).
4. After entering the TCA cycle, acetyl CoA is converted into carbon dioxide and energy.

TCA cycles required for complete oxidation of 2 sucrose:

1. Sucrose is a disaccharide made up of 2, 6-Carbon sugars - glucose and fructose.
2. One glucose molecule breaks down into 2 pyruvic acids (3-carbon) in glycolysis, which is further decarboxylated to produce 2 acetyl CoA molecules, which enter the TCA cycle.
3. As one molecule of glucose requires two rounds of TCA cycle, 2 molecules of sucrose will require 8 rounds of TCA cycle for complete oxidation.