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Ch.24 Lipid Metabolism
McMurry - Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 8th Edition
McMurry8th EditionFundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134015187Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksMcMurry 8th EditionCh.24 Lipid MetabolismProblem 49a
Chapter 24, Problem 49a

How many molecules of acetyl-CoA result from complete catabolism of the following compounds?
a. Myristic acid, CH3(CH2)12COOH

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Identify the structure of myristic acid: Myristic acid is a saturated fatty acid with the formula CH₃(CH₂)₁₂COOH. It contains 14 carbon atoms in total (1 from CH₃, 12 from CH₂ groups, and 1 from the carboxylic acid group).
Understand the process of beta-oxidation: Beta-oxidation is the metabolic pathway that breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA molecules. Each cycle of beta-oxidation removes a 2-carbon unit (as acetyl-CoA) from the fatty acid chain.
Determine the number of beta-oxidation cycles: Since myristic acid has 14 carbon atoms, divide the total number of carbons by 2 to determine the number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced. This gives 14 ÷ 2 = 7 acetyl-CoA molecules.
Account for the number of beta-oxidation cycles: The number of beta-oxidation cycles required to completely break down the fatty acid is one less than the number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced. For myristic acid, this would be 7 - 1 = 6 cycles.
Summarize the result: The complete catabolism of myristic acid through beta-oxidation produces 7 molecules of acetyl-CoA. Each acetyl-CoA can then enter the citric acid cycle for further energy production.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Beta-Oxidation

Beta-oxidation is the metabolic process by which fatty acids are broken down in the mitochondria to generate acetyl-CoA. Each cycle of beta-oxidation shortens the fatty acid chain by two carbon atoms, producing one molecule of acetyl-CoA, along with NADH and FADH2, which are used in the electron transport chain for ATP production.
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Characteristics of Beta Particles

Fatty Acid Structure

Fatty acids are long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxylic acid group at one end. The number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid determines how many cycles of beta-oxidation will occur. For example, myristic acid has 14 carbon atoms, which influences the total number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced during its complete catabolism.
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Fatty Acids Example 1

Acetyl-CoA Production

Acetyl-CoA is a key metabolic intermediate that enters the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) for energy production. Each complete cycle of beta-oxidation of a fatty acid yields one acetyl-CoA molecule, and the total number of acetyl-CoA molecules produced can be calculated by dividing the total number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid by two.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Write the equation for the final step in the catabolism of any fatty acid with an even number of carbons.

Textbook Question

What causes acetone to be present in the breath of someone with uncontrolled diabetes?

Textbook Question

Name the starting material for fatty acid synthesis.

Textbook Question

How many rounds of the lipogenesis cycle are needed to synthesize stearic acid, C17H35COOH?

Textbook Question

Arrange these following four molecules in increasing order of their biological energy content (per mole):

a. Sucrose

b. Myristic acid, CH3(CH2)12COOH

c. Glucose

d. Capric acid, CH3(CH2)8COOH

Textbook Question

Show the products of each step in the fatty acid oxidation of hexanoic acid.

a.