How many cycles of beta-oxidation are required for complete oxidation of myristic acid (14 carbons)?
Understand the Problem
The question asks how many beta-oxidation cycles are needed to fully oxidize myristic acid, a 14-carbon fatty acid. Each cycle removes two carbons in the form of acetyl-CoA. To determine the number of cycles, we have to consider how many two-carbon units are removed until the fatty acid is completely converted to acetyl-CoA.
Answer
6 cycles of beta-oxidation are required for complete oxidation of myristic acid.
Myristic acid, a 14-carbon fatty acid, requires 6 cycles of beta-oxidation for complete oxidation. Each cycle produces one molecule of Acetyl-CoA, with the final cycle yielding two.
Answer for screen readers
Myristic acid, a 14-carbon fatty acid, requires 6 cycles of beta-oxidation for complete oxidation. Each cycle produces one molecule of Acetyl-CoA, with the final cycle yielding two.
More Information
Beta-oxidation is a crucial process in fatty acid metabolism, breaking down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA molecules, which then enter the citric acid cycle to produce energy.
Tips
A common mistake is to divide the number of carbons by 2 which would be 7, and to forget that the final turn yields two acetyl-CoA molecules..
Sources
AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information
