The metabolic pathway in which acetyl-CoA is catalytically oxidised to carbon dioxide, with the concomitant reduction of NAD⁺ and FAD via a series of tricarboxylic (citric, cisaconitic and isocitric) and dicarboxylic (succinic, fumaric, malic and oxaloacetic) acids. The actual carbon atoms that appear as CO₂ after a single passage through the cycle are not identical to those that entered as acetyl-CoA. Also known as the citric acid cycle or the Krebs cycle.