The complete oxidation of an 18-carbon saturated fatty acid to produce 16 molecules of carbon dioxide will produce a total of how many reduced coenzymes?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The complete oxidation of an 18-carbon saturated fatty acid will enter the mitochondrial matrix as fatty acyl-CoA and undergo beta-oxidation, producing 8 acetyl-CoA, 7 reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2), and 7 reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) molecules. Each acetyl-CoA will enter the citric acid cycle and produce 3 NADH, 1 FADH2, and 1 GTP/ATP molecule, resulting in a total of 24 NADH, 8 FADH2, and 8 GTP/ATP molecules from the 8 acetyl-CoA. The 7 NADH and 7 FADH2 molecules from beta-oxidation will enter the electron transport chain (ETC) and produce a total of 28 ATP (7 FADH2 x 2 ATP/FADH2 + 7 NADH x 3 ATP/NADH), while the 24 NADH produced in the citric acid cycle will produce a total of 72 ATP (24 NADH x 3 ATP/NADH) in the ETC. Therefore, the total number of reduced coenzymes produced is 7 FADH2 + 31 NADH = 52.

The Complete Oxidation of an 18-Carbon Saturated Fatty Acid to Produce