Fatty Acid Metabolism

Flashcards covering essential terms and concepts from the lecture on fatty acid metabolism.

Triacylglycerols

Fats that are hydrolyzed to fatty acids and glycerol.

Acyl CoA Synthetase

Enzyme that catalyzes the formation of a thioester between a fatty acid and CoA, using ATP.

Fatty Acid Activation

Process that involves coupling fatty acids to CoA before degradation.

Beta-Oxidation

The process of oxidizing fatty acids in the mitochondrial matrix, resulting in the production of acetyl CoA.

Carnitine Shuttle

Mechanism that transports fatty acyl-CoA into the mitochondria for degradation.

Ketone Bodies

Compounds produced in the liver from acetyl CoA that can be used by the brain for ATP when glucose levels are low.

Malonyl-CoA

Intermediate used in fatty acid synthesis, formed from acetyl-CoA and bicarbonate.

Biotin

A cofactor that plays a crucial role in carboxylation reactions in fatty acid metabolism.

HMG-CoA

Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA, an important intermediate in the synthesis of ketone bodies.

Acetyl-CoA

The product of fatty acid degradation that enters the TCA cycle for energy production.