How many trips through the fatty acid spiral are required for a 10-carbon fatty acid?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Each trip through the fatty acid spiral shortens the fatty acid chain by two carbons, so a 10-carbon fatty acid requires 5 trips to be completely broken down into acetyl-CoA units. However, the question asks for the number of trips, not the final products, and since the process starts with the original fatty acid, it technically undergoes 4 cycles to be broken down into two-carbon units.

How Many Trips Through the Fatty Acid Spiral Are Required