Final answer:
FAD facilitates energy metabolism by acting as a coenzyme that assists in electron transfer during the oxidation-reduction reactions of cellular respiration, leading to ATP synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) plays a crucial role in energy metabolism by acting as a coenzyme necessary for various enzymatic reactions in the cell, particularly in the oxidation-reduction processes. As a derivative of vitamin B₂, also known as riboflavin, FAD helps in the transfer of electrons during cellular respiration. The reduced form, FADH₂, is a high-energy molecule that delivers electrons directly to the electron transport chain during the final stages of cellular respiration, a process that is central to the production of ATP, the cell's energy currency.
During the fatty acid oxidation pathway, FAD is integral in the formation of an a-ß unsaturated acyl-CoA product. The process involves FAD accepting hydrogen atoms, which gets reduced to FADH₂. Then, FADH₂ is oxidized through the electron transport chain, producing ATP in the process. This illustrates how FAD facilitates the conversion of energy from food macromolecules into a form that the cell can store and utilize.