tricarboxylic

9.3

Having three carboxyl groups attached to a molecule

adjective
/ˌtraɪkɑrˈbɑksɪlɪk/

Specialized

: tricarboxílico

The tricarboxylic acid cycle plays a crucial role in cellular respiration.

Examples

So TCA, tricarboxylic acid cycle, Krebs cycle, citric acid cycle, all synonyms for the same thing.
And generates the six carbon tricarboxylic acid citrate.
During metabolism, the cell converts glucose into energy through the tricarboxylic pathway.
The scientist studied various tricarboxylic compounds to understand their effects on metabolism.

Compounds

tricarboxylic acid cycle

Specialized

5.2

A series of chemical reactions in cells that make energy from food

Surface Forms

tricarboxylic positive

Morphology

tricarboxylic = carboxylic (transparent) = tri + carboxyl + ic

The adjective is formed by adding the prefix 'tri-' (three) to 'carboxylic', so the meaning 'having three carboxyl groups' follows directly from the parts.

Etymology

The word tricarboxylic starts with tri- meaning 'three', just like in triangle, and the carboxylic part comes from carboxyl, a chemical group built around carbon and oxygen that gives an 'acid' quality. So, tricarboxylic describes a molecule that has three of these carboxyl groups.