No matter what you want to call this cycle, it is essential to the survival of the human being. This proposed cycle was created by the biochemist Sir Hans Adolf Krebs, who was rewarded with the Nobel Prize in 1953 for his work. To break it down in short, this process is the second stage of cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is key to life because it allows living cells to break down organic molecules in order to extract energy, which is needed to grow and multiply. It is characterized in most plants, animals, fungi, and many bacteria. The organelles/structures that carry out this procedure are the mitochondria.

Through the steps of the Krebs cycle, molecules that are digested or retrieved are being metabolized for their resources. Essentially, living organisms require energy in order to function the simplest movements. Energy allows humans to walk, talk, and think. Ever wonder why your muscles burn after a hard workout, just remember that the Krebs cycle is in effect trying to produce enough energy and bring enough oxygen to fulfill your cells needs. That lactic acid that is burning will soon be vanquished by the citric acid cycle.

Hey... do all acids burn when in contact with skin? Course not! Let's get into a couple details about citric acid and its group.

Acids (defined by Encyclopedia Brittanica): "any substance that in water solution tastes sour, changes the colour of certain indicators (e.g., reddens blue litmus paper), reacts with some metals (e.g., iron) to liberate hydrogen, reacts with bases to form salts, and promotes certain chemical reactions (acid catalysis)."