unsaturated fatty acids

Saturated vs Unsaturated fatty acids- Definition, 20 Differences, Examples

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Differences Between Saturated and Unsaturated fatty acids

Figure: Differences Between Saturated and Unsaturated fatty acids. Image Source: BioNinja. Saturated fatty acids definition Saturated fatty acids are the simplest form of fats that are unbranched linear chains of CH2 groups linked together by carbon-carbon single bonds with a terminal carboxylic acid. The term ‘saturated’ is used to indicate that the maximum number of hydrogen atoms are bonded to each carbon atom in a molecule of fat. The general formula for these acids is CnH2n+1COOH. Fatty acids obtained from …Read more

Beta-oxidation of Fatty Acid

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Beta-oxidation of Fatty Acid

Beta-oxidation is the catabolic process by which fatty acid molecules are broken down in the cytosol in prokaryotes and in the mitochondria in eukaryotes to generate acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle while NADH and FADH2, which are co-enzymes, are used in the electron transport chain. It is referred as “beta oxidation” because the beta carbon of the fatty acid undergoes oxidation to a carbonyl group. Figure: Schematic demonstrating mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation and effects of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency, LCHAD deficiency. Source: Wikipedia. Location of Beta-Oxidation Beta-Oxidation takes place in the mitochondria of eukaryotes while in the …Read more