How many acetyl CoA molecules may be obtained from oxidation of a 16-carbon fatty acid?
8
The complete oxidation of a 16-carbon fatty acid occurs in three steps:
1. Beta-oxidation: During beta-oxidation, the fatty acid is broken down into two-carbon units in the form of acetyl CoA. This process occurs over a series of reactions, and each round of beta-oxidation produces one molecule of acetyl CoA.
2. Krebs cycle (Citric acid cycle): The acetyl CoA produced by beta-oxidation enters the Krebs cycle, where it undergoes further oxidation and generates energy. Each cycle of the Krebs cycle produces one molecule of ATP and two molecules of CO2.
3. Electron transport chain: The electrons generated by the oxidation of acetyl CoA in the Krebs cycle are passed through the electron transport chain, generating a proton gradient and ultimately ATP.
Therefore, the number of acetyl CoA molecules that can be produced from the oxidation of a 16-carbon fatty acid depends on the number of rounds of beta-oxidation that occur. Since a 16-carbon fatty acid has eight two-carbon units, eight rounds of beta-oxidation will occur, resulting in the production of eight molecules of acetyl CoA.
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