The___________________________ is the process by which pyruvic acid is broken down in the presence of oxygen.

The correct answer is: Citric acid cycle

• Pyruvic acid can be produced from glucose through the process of glycolysis, returned to carbohydrates (such as glucose) through the process of gluconeogenesis, or transformed into fatty acids through the process of acetyl-CoA.
• It can be transformed into ethanol and utilized to build the amino acid alanine. When oxygen is present (aerobic respiration), pyruvic acid provides energy to living cells through the citric acid cycle, also termed the Krebs cycle; when oxygen is not present, it ferments to form lactic acid.
• An essential molecule in biology is pyruvate. It is a byproduct of glycolysis, an anaerobic process for the breakdown of glucose.
• One glucose molecule degrades into two pyruvate molecules, which are subsequently used to produce additional energy in one of two ways.
• Pyruvate is transformed into acetyl-coenzyme A, which serves as the primary input for the Krebs cycle, a set of processes.
• Oxaloacetate is produced from pyruvate through an anaplerotic reaction that also replenishes Krebs cycle intermediates. Oxaloacetate is also employed in the process of gluconeogenesis.