Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
β-Oxidation
β-Oxidation is a metabolic process that breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA units, which can then enter the citric acid cycle for energy production. This process occurs in the mitochondria and involves a series of enzymatic reactions that sequentially remove two-carbon units from the fatty acid chain, starting from the carboxyl end.
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Fatty Acid Activation
Fatty acid activation is the initial step in β-oxidation, where fatty acids are converted into acyl-CoA derivatives. This reaction is catalyzed by acyl-CoA synthetase and requires ATP, which is hydrolyzed to AMP and pyrophosphate. This activation is crucial as it allows fatty acids to be transported into the mitochondria for subsequent oxidation.
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Enzymatic Reactions in β-Oxidation
The β-oxidation pathway consists of four main enzymatic reactions: oxidation, hydration, another oxidation, and cleavage. Each step is catalyzed by specific enzymes, such as acyl-CoA dehydrogenase for the first oxidation, which introduces a double bond, and enoyl-CoA hydratase for hydration, which adds water across the double bond, facilitating the breakdown of fatty acids into acetyl-CoA.
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