In the mitochondrial matrix, the citric acid cycle begins with which molecule? A citric acid cycle begins with the molecule Acetyl CoA, which is p...

In the mitochondrial matrix, the citric acid cycle begins with which molecule?

A citric acid cycle begins with the molecule Acetyl CoA, which is produced in the matrix itself by the breakdown of pyruvate or by the beta-oxidation of lipids.
Pyruvate enters the mitochondria by co-transport with the return of protons from the gradient. Lipids, substrates for beta-oxidation, enter the mitochondria through a set of reactions called the carnitine cycle.