Consider the beta oxidation of a saturated fatty acid. For 5 turns of the cycle how many total high energy molecules are produced?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Each turn of the cycle produces 1 acetyl CoA, 1 NADH, and 1 FADH2. 5 turns of the cycle would produce 5 acetyl CoA, 5 NADH, and 5 FADH2. Acetyl CoA is further oxidized in the citric acid cycle to produce additional high energy molecules. NADH and FADH2 are used in the electron transport chain to produce ATP. 1 NADH produces 2.5 ATP and 1 FADH2 produces 1.5 ATP. Therefore, 5 turns of the cycle would produce 5 x 2.5 = 12.5 ATP from NADH and 5 x 1.5 = 7.5 ATP from FADH2. The total number of high energy molecules produced is 12.5 + 7.5 = 20.0.

Consider the Beta Oxidation of a Saturated Fatty Acid