An experimenter studying the oxidation of fatty acids in extracts of liver found that when palmitate (16:0) was provided as substrate, it was completely oxidized to CO₂. However, when undecanoic acid (11:0) was added as substrate, incomplete oxidation occurred unless he bubbled CO₂ through the reaction mixture. The addition of the protein avidin, which binds tightly to biotin, prevented the complete oxidation of undecanoic acid even in the presence of CO₂, although it had no effect on palmitate oxidation. Explain these observations in light of what you know of fatty acid oxidation reactions.

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The Answer of An experimenter studying the oxidation of fatty acids in extracts of liver found that when palmitate (16:0) was provided as substrate, it was completely oxidized to CO₂. However, when undecanoic acid (11:0) was added as substrate, incomplete oxidation occurred unless he bubbled CO₂ through the reaction mixture. The addition of the protein avidin, which binds tightly to biotin, prevented the complete oxidation of undecanoic acid even in the presence of CO₂, although it had no effect on palmitate oxidation. Explain these observations in light of what you know of fatty acid oxidation reactions.

An Experimenter Studying the Oxidation of Fatty Acids in Extracts