Final answer:
The activation and transport of fatty acids into the mitochondrial matrix requires ATP, carnitine, and coenzyme A. This includes the activation into fatty acyl-CoA using ATP, transportation into the matrix in the form of a fatty acyl carnitine complex, and reconversion into fatty acyl-CoA for oxidation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activation and transport of fatty acids from the cytoplasm to the mitochondrial matrix requires ATP, carnitine, and coenzyme A. The process begins in the cytoplasm, where fatty acids are first activated by conversion into fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA). This activation step is catalyzed by acyl-CoA synthetase and uses ATP, which is converted to adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and CoA. The activated fatty acid, now as a fatty acyl-CoA, combines with carnitine to form fatty acyl carnitine via the enzyme carnitine palmitoyl transferase I. This complex can then traverse the mitochondrial membrane with the help of carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase. Once inside the matrix, carnitine acyltransferase II converts the complex back into fatty acyl-CoA, releasing carnitine and allowing the fatty acid to undergo further oxidation. The correct answer is therefore (a) ATP, carnitine, and coenzyme A.