In the oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl CoA, one carbon atom is released as CO₂. However, the oxidation of the remaining two carbon atoms—in acetate—to CO₂ requires a complex, eight-step pathway—the citric acid cycle. Consider four possible explanations for why the last two carbons in acetate are converted to CO₂ in a complex cyclic pathway rather than through a simple, linear reaction. Use your knowledge of the first three stages of cellular respiration to determine which explanation is correct.
a. More ATP is produced per CO₂ released in cyclic processes than in linear processes.
b. It is easier to remove electrons and produce CO₂ from compounds with three or more carbon atoms than from a two-carbon compound such as acetyl COA.
c. Redox reactions that simultaneously produce CO₂ and NADH occur only in cyclic processes.
d. Cyclic processes, such as the citric acid cycle, require a different mechanism of ATP synthesis than linear processes, such as glycolysis.

Explanation:

pyruvate⇒ acetyl coA,

NAD+ is converted into NADH;

In oxidation of puruvate, a carboxyl group is removed from pyruvate and released as CO2. The two-carbon molecule from the first step is oxidized, and NAD+ accepts the electrons and converted to  NADH.  An acetyl group, is attached to Coenzyme A and finally form acetyl CoA.

The last two carbons in acetate are converted to CO₂ in a complex cyclic pathway because( reason being), it is easier to remove electrons and produce carbon dioxide from compounds with three or more C atoms than from a two-carbon compound such as acetyl CoA.

interphase

the period of cell growth when the cell synthesizes new molecules and organelles. the cell is not dividing and it constitutes the majority of the time spent in the cell cycle

prophase

changes occur in the nucleus and cytoplasm. the chromatin condenses to form structures (sister chromatids) visible with a light microscope and the mitotic spindle begins to form, but the nucleus is still in tact

prometaphase

the nuclear envelope fragments and the spindle microtubules attach to the kinetochores of the sister chromatids

metaphase

all the cell's duplicated chromosomes are lined up at an imaginary plane equidistant between the poles of the mitotic spindle

anaphase

begins when sister chromatids separate from each other and ending when a complete set of daughter chromosomes arrives at each of the two poles of the cell

telophase

the daughter nuclei form at the two poles of a cell

cytokinesis

the division of a cytoplasm to form two separate daughter cells. usually occurs during telophase during mitosis. this and mitosis make up to mitotic (m) phase of the cell cycle