The following fatty acid undergoes two loops of the β-oxidation spiral. What is the value of n in the formula of the product shown below at this point?

Question

The following fatty acid undergoes two loops of the β-oxidation spiral.  What is the value of n in the formula of the product shown below at this point?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In each cycle of β-oxidation, two carbons are removed from the fatty acid chain as acetyl-CoA. Therefore, after two loops of β-oxidation, a fatty acid with n carbons will have lost 4 carbons as acetyl-CoA. The product shown in the question has 4 fewer carbons than the starting fatty acid, so n - 4 = 12, and n = 16. Therefore, the answer is B.

The Following Fatty Acid Undergoes Two Loops of the β-Oxidation