Textbook Question
In what organ does the urea cycle take place?
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Ch.12 Food as Fuel An Overview of Metabolism
Frost4th EditionGeneral, Organic and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134988696
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Table of contents
- Ch.4 Introduction to Organic Compounds75
- Ch.5 Chemical Reactions19
- Ch.6 Carbohydrates Life's Sweet Molecules62
- Ch.7 States of Matter and Their Attractive Forces8
- Ch.8 Solution Chemistry Sugar and Water Do Mix4
- Ch.10 Proteins Workers of the Cell89
- Ch.11 Nucleic Acids Big Molecules with a Big Role69
- Ch.12 Food as Fuel An Overview of Metabolism65
Frost4th EditionGeneral, Organic and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134988696Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 8, Problem 94b
Consider the complete oxidation of arachidic acid, a saturated fatty acid, [20:0].
b. How many cycles of β oxidation occur?
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the structure of arachidic acid. Arachidic acid is a saturated fatty acid with the formula C20H40O2, indicating it has 20 carbon atoms and no double bonds.
Step 2: Recall the process of β oxidation. In β oxidation, each cycle removes a two-carbon unit (acetyl-CoA) from the fatty acid chain. The number of cycles required is determined by the number of two-carbon units that can be removed.
Step 3: Determine the number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced. For a fatty acid with n carbons, the number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced is n/2. Since arachidic acid has 20 carbons, it will produce 20/2 = 10 acetyl-CoA molecules.
Step 4: Calculate the number of β oxidation cycles. The number of cycles is one less than the number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced because the final two-carbon unit does not require a cycle to be removed. Therefore, the number of cycles is 10 - 1 = 9.
Step 5: Conclude that the complete oxidation of arachidic acid involves 9 cycles of β oxidation. This is based on the systematic removal of two-carbon units until the fatty acid is fully oxidized.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
β-Oxidation
β-Oxidation is a metabolic process that breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA units, which can then enter the citric acid cycle for energy production. Each cycle of β-oxidation removes two carbon atoms from the fatty acid chain, producing one molecule of acetyl-CoA and reducing equivalents in the form of NADH and FADH2.
Fatty Acid Structure
Fatty acids are long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxylic acid group at one end. Arachidic acid, specifically, is a saturated fatty acid with 20 carbon atoms. Understanding the structure of fatty acids is crucial for determining how many cycles of β-oxidation will occur, as the number of cycles is directly related to the length of the carbon chain.
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Fatty Acids Example 1
Cycle Calculation
The number of β-oxidation cycles can be calculated using the formula: (n/2) - 1, where n is the total number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid. For arachidic acid (20 carbons), this means (20/2) - 1 = 9 cycles of β-oxidation will occur, leading to the complete oxidation of the fatty acid.
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0:51The Urea Cycle Concept 3
Related Practice
Textbook Question
What metabolic substrate(s) can be produced from the carbon atoms of each of the following amino acids?
c. methionine
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Textbook Question
Consider the complete oxidation of capric acid, a saturated fatty acid, [10:0].
c How many ATP are generated from the complete oxidation of capric acid?
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Textbook Question
Lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid, [12:0], is found in coconut oil.
a. Draw fatty acyl lauric acid activated for β oxidation.
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Textbook Question
Lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid, [12:0], is found in coconut oil.
e. How many cycles of β oxidation occur?
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Textbook Question
A person is brought to the emergency room in what appears to be a drunken stupor. On closer examination, she seems to be breathing very rapidly and you notice a sweet-smelling odor on her breath. You find out this person has not been drinking alcohol. What is her likely condition?
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