There is a certain chemical logic to the steps of the citric acid cycle. One particular functional group plays a large role in f
acilitating most of the chemistry that goes on in the reactions. This group is electron withdrawing, which helps to stabilize carbanion intermediates and increase the reactivity of the methyl group of acetyl CoA. What is this functional group
Electron-withdrawing substituents stabilize the carbon atoms in its surrounding. These chemical groups are Carbonyl groups which withdraw electrons because of the inductive effect and presence of double bond between C and O and also because of the polarity of the two atoms (Carbon and oxygen)
