Since naturally occurring fatty acids contain an even number of carbon atoms, the number of carbon atoms in such compounds can be expressed as 2n. How many turns of the β-oxidation cycle occur during the breakdown of a fatty acid which contains 2n carbon atoms?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The β-oxidation cycle removes two carbon atoms in the form of acetyl-CoA in each turn. For a fatty acid with 2n carbon atoms, (2n/2) - 1 = n - 1 turns are needed to completely break it down.

Since Naturally Occurring Fatty Acids Contain an Even Number of Carbon