What stage of aerobic respiration produces ATP and NADH while also releasing CO2?

The Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, is a crucial component of aerobic respiration that takes place in the mitochondria of cells. During this cycle, acetyl-CoA, derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, enters and undergoes a series of chemical reactions.

The primary outputs of the Krebs cycle include ATP, NADH, FADH2 (another electron carrier), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Here’s how it contributes to the production of ATP and NADH while releasing CO2:

1. ATP Production: The Krebs cycle generates ATP through substrate-level phosphorylation. This occurs when a phosphate group is directly transferred to ADP to form ATP during one of the cycle's enzymatic reactions.

2. NADH Production: The Krebs cycle involves several dehydrogenation reactions where NAD+ is reduced to NADH. These reactions are catalyzed by specific enzymes and play a critical role in capturing energy, which will later be used in the electron transport chain to produce more ATP.

3. CO2 Release: The decarboxylation reactions within the cycle remove carbon atoms from the acetyl-CoA and release them as carbon dioxide. This process is essential as it helps