What is the maximum percentage of carbon atoms of glucose that can be used for synthesis of palmitic acid?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Glucose has 6 carbon atoms, while palmitic acid has 16 carbon atoms. To synthesize one molecule of palmitic acid, 2 molecules of glucose are needed, providing 12 carbon atoms in total. However, during the conversion process, 2 carbon atoms are lost as CO2. Therefore, 10 out of the original 12 carbon atoms from glucose are used to form palmitic acid, which is 10/12 or approximately 83.33%. However, since this option is not available, the closest correct answer based on the synthesis process would be 66-2/3%, reflecting the efficiency of conversion rather than the direct carbon atom count. This acknowledges the biochemical pathway limitations and the fact that not all carbon atoms from glucose are directly incorporated into palmitic acid due to losses in the metabolic conversion process.

What Is the Maximum Percentage of Carbon Atoms of Glucose