Through which process are fatty acids converted to acetyl CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle?

Through which process are fatty acids converted to acetyl CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle?

• A. Beta-oxidation
• B. Glycolysis
• C. Transamination
• D. Deamination

Answer: (A)

The process that converts fatty acids into acetyl-CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle is beta-oxidation. In the mitochondrial matrix, beta-oxidation repeatedly cleaves two-carbon units from the fatty acyl chain, producing a new acetyl-CoA each cycle, plus NADH and FADH2 which feed the electron transport chain for additional ATP. For long-chain fatty acids, they are first transported into the mitochondrion via the carnitine shuttle before beta-oxidation can occur. The acetyl-CoA produced then enters the Krebs cycle to generate more energy. This differs from glycolysis, which starts with glucose to form pyruvate (and then acetyl-CoA via pyruvate dehydrogenase), not from fatty acids. Transamination and deamination are amino acid metabolism processes that remove or transfer amino groups, not pathways that convert fatty acids into acetyl-CoA.

The process that converts fatty acids into acetyl-CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle is beta-oxidation. In the mitochondrial matrix, beta-oxidation repeatedly cleaves two-carbon units from the fatty acyl chain, producing a new acetyl-CoA each cycle, plus NADH and FADH2 which feed the electron transport chain for additional ATP. For long-chain fatty acids, they are first transported into the mitochondrion via the carnitine shuttle before beta-oxidation can occur. The acetyl-CoA produced then enters the Krebs cycle to generate more energy.

This differs from glycolysis, which starts with glucose to form pyruvate (and then acetyl-CoA via pyruvate dehydrogenase), not from fatty acids. Transamination and deamination are amino acid metabolism processes that remove or transfer amino groups, not pathways that convert fatty acids into acetyl-CoA.