Succinic acid (/səkˈsɪnᵻk/) is a dicarboxylic acid with chemical formula (CH2)2(CO2H)2. It is a white, odorless solid. In an aqueous solution, it ionizes to anions (that is, conjugates to a conjugate base) called succinate (/ˈsʌksᵻneɪt/), which plays a role in the citric acid cycle, an energy-yielding process in all living organisms. As a radical group it is called a succinyl (/ˈsʌksᵻnəl/) group. The name derives from Latin succinum, meaning amber, from which the acid may be obtained.