Fat Degregation Flashcards
What is the key difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds and higher melting points, while unsaturated fatty acids contain double bonds.
What are fats stored as in adipose tissue?
Triacylglycerols.
What is the role of pancreatic lipase in fat catabolism?
It acts on triacylglycerols by releasing fatty acids from positions 1 and 3.
What are chylomicrons?
Fat carriers in circulation that are soluble and transport fats due to their hydrophobic nature.
How are fatty acids taken up by the liver?
Through LDL receptors after triacylglycerols are broken down.
What is the first enzyme involved in the degradation of fat storage?
Adipose tissue triacylglycerol lipase.
What hormones stimulate lipolysis?
- Epinephrine
- Glucagon
What is the fate of fatty acids and glycerol after lipolysis?
- Fatty acids enter the bloodstream and are carried to other tissues with albumin
- Glycerol is transported to the liver to be converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis.
Where does fatty acid oxidation occur?
In the mitochondria.
What are the two steps necessary for fatty acids to be oxidized?
- Activation (binding to CoA in the cytosol)
- Transport (via the carnitine shuttle)
What is the energetic cost to activate a fatty acid?
Equivalent to 2 ATP being consumed.
What is the role of carnitine in fatty acid transport?
It reacts with acyl CoA to form acyl carnitine, which can be transported into the mitochondria.
What is the substrate for beta oxidation?
Acyl CoA.
What determines the rate of fatty acid breakdown?
The transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria, specifically the activity of carnitine acyltransferase 1.
True or False: All enzymes in fatty acid oxidation are regulated.
False.
