Final answer:
To completely oxidize a 14-C-containing fatty acid to acetyl-CoA, 6 rounds of beta-oxidation are needed, as calculated using the formula n/2 - 1 where n is the number of carbon atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
To fully oxidize a 14-carbon-containing fatty acid through beta-oxidation, we use the formula n/2 - 1, where n is the number of carbon atoms. This formula calculates the number of rounds needed to break down the fatty acid into acetyl-CoA units. For a 14-carbon fatty acid, this would be 14/2 - 1, resulting in 6 rounds of beta-oxidation.
The final round of beta-oxidation will yield two molecules of acetyl-CoA. Throughout the beta-oxidation process, each cycle shortens the fatty acid chain by two carbon atoms, leading to the production of an Acyl-CoA and an acetyl-CoA at each round until the fatty acid is completely converted to acetyl-CoA units.
Therefore, to fully oxidize a 14-C-containing fatty acid to acetyl-CoA, you would expect 6 rounds of beta-oxidation.