What is the key difference between fatty acid synthesis and fatty acid degradation?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking to identify the key difference between fatty acid synthesis and fatty acid degradation (also known as beta-oxidation). It presents four options, and the task is to choose the most accurate description of a difference between these two processes.

Answer

Key differences include location (cytosol vs. mitochondria), enzymes (multi-enzyme complex vs. separate enzymes), coenzymes (NADPH vs. NAD+ and FAD), and carbon addition/removal (adds acetyl-CoA vs. removes acetyl-CoA).

The key differences between fatty acid synthesis and degradation include:

  • Location: Synthesis occurs in the cytosol, while degradation occurs in the mitochondria.
  • Enzymes: Synthesis uses a multi-enzyme complex, while degradation uses separate enzymes.
  • Coenzymes: Synthesis uses NADPH, while degradation uses NAD+ and FAD.
  • Carbon addition/removal: Synthesis adds acetyl-CoA, while degradation removes acetyl-CoA.
Answer for screen readers

The key differences between fatty acid synthesis and degradation include:

  • Location: Synthesis occurs in the cytosol, while degradation occurs in the mitochondria.
  • Enzymes: Synthesis uses a multi-enzyme complex, while degradation uses separate enzymes.
  • Coenzymes: Synthesis uses NADPH, while degradation uses NAD+ and FAD.
  • Carbon addition/removal: Synthesis adds acetyl-CoA, while degradation removes acetyl-CoA.

More Information

Fatty acid synthesis and degradation are opposing metabolic pathways. Synthesis builds fatty acids for storage, while degradation breaks them down for energy.

Tips

A common mistake is confusing the locations of the two processes. Synthesis happens in the cytosol, degradation in the mitochondria.

Sources

AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information

Thank you for voting!