What is the main output of the Citric Acid Cycle in terms of ATP equivalents?

The main output of the Citric Acid Cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle or TCA cycle, includes a direct generation of one GTP (which is energetically equivalent to ATP) per cycle. This process occurs during the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate, where GTP is produced through substrate-level phosphorylation.

In the context of the Citric Acid Cycle, it's important to recognize that while the cycle does lead to the production of reduced cofactors, specifically three NADH and one FADH2 per cycle, these do not directly represent ATP equivalents in the same way GTP does. The NADH and FADH2 will later contribute to ATP production during oxidative phosphorylation in the electron transport chain, leading to an approximate yield of additional ATP based on the reduced cofactors. However, the specific question focuses on the direct output from the cycle itself, solidifying that one GTP (or ATP) equivalent is the primary measure for output per round of the cycle.