Science, Tech, Math › Science Chemical Reactions Share Flipboard Email Print Science Chemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. our editorial process Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated November 05, 2019 This is a collection of important chemical reactions you may encounter in a chemistry class or in the lab. 01 of 07 Citric Acid Cycle The Citric Acid Cycle is also known as the Krebs Cycle or Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) Cycle. It is a series of chemical reactions that takes place in the cell that breaks down food molecules into carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Narayanese, wikipedia.org 02 of 07 Chemiluminescence Reaction - TCPO Chemiluminescence Reaction - TCPO. Anne Helmenstine 03 of 07 Chemiluminescence Reaction Chemiluminescence Reaction. Anne Helmenstine 04 of 07 Saponification (Soap) Reaction Saponification involves the hydrolysis of an ester to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid. Anne Helmenstine 05 of 07 Translation This diagram depicts the translation of mRNA and the synthesis of proteins by ribosomes in the cell. LadyofHats, Wikipedia Commons Translation is the initial step in the production of proteins by the cell. Translation uses the product of transcription, mRNA, as the template for constructing a sequence of polypeptides. This is done according to the genetic code. Each mRNA base signifies a series of three amino acids. The amino acids join to form polypeptides, which are modified to become proteins. Translation is done by the ribosomes in a cell's cytoplasm. There are four stages of translation: activation, initiation, elongation, and termination. These steps describe the growth of the amino acid chain. 06 of 07 Glycolysis Glycolysis is the metabolic process that serves as the foundation for both aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration. In glycolysis, glucose is converted into pyruvate. Todd Helmenstine 07 of 07 Nylon Synthesis - General Reaction This is the general reaction for the polymerization of nylon as a result of condensation polymerization of dicarboxylic acid and diamine. Calvero, Public Domain License