Final answer:
In the degradation of fatty acids, acylation is not included as a step whereas activation, oxidation, hydration, and thiolysis are part of the β-oxidation pathway.
Step-by-step explanation:
The degradation of fatty acids involves several steps, but acylation is not one of them. The correct steps in fatty acid degradation are activation, which transforms fatty acids into fatty acyl-CoA; oxidation, where the acyl-CoA is oxidized; hydration, which adds a water molecule; and thiolysis, which cleaves the molecule, producing acetyl-CoA and acyl-CoA, which is then further processed. These steps are part of the β-oxidation pathway, where fatty acids are broken down to produce energy.