Question

Beta oxidation is ________.

a) A step in glycolysis
b) A process in fatty acid synthesis
c) Breakdown of fatty acids
d) A stage in the citric acid cycle

Answer 1

Beta oxidation is the breakdown of fatty acids, a catabolic process involving a series of reactions that shorten fatty acid chains and produce acetyl CoA for energy production in the Krebs cycle.

Correct option is c) Breakdown of fatty acids

Step-by-step explanation:

Beta oxidation is c) Breakdown of fatty acids. It is a catabolic process where fatty acyl-CoA molecules are oxidized to remove acetyl-CoA molecules. This takes place in mitochondria after the fatty acids have been activated and transported into the matrix. The process involves a sequence of four reactions:

1. Dehydrogenation of the alkane side chain.
2. Hydration of the double bond that was just formed.
3. Dehydrogenation again, which creates a ketone group.
4. Thiolysis, where acetyl-CoA is split off.

This cycle of reactions continues, shortening the fatty acid chain by two carbon atoms at a time until the entire chain has been converted into acetyl CoA units. These acetyl CoA molecules then enter the Krebs cycle, further contributing to cellular energy production in the form of ATP.