Beta-oxidation converts fatty acids into acetyl-CoA in the mitochondria.

Beta-oxidation converts fatty acids into acetyl-CoA in the mitochondria.

• A. False
• B. Not in mitochondria
• C. True
• D. Only in cytoplasm

Answer: (C)

Beta-oxidation is the mitochondrial pathway that chops fatty acids into two-carbon units, producing acetyl-CoA with each cycle while also generating NADH and FADH2 for energy production. In most cells, this takes place in the mitochondrial matrix, and the acetyl-CoA produced then feeds into the TCA cycle to release more energy. There is a caveat for very long-chain fatty acids, which start oxidation in peroxisomes, but those shortened products are ultimately handed off to mitochondria for complete oxidation. So the statement is true because the main outcome of beta-oxidation, in its primary pathway, is acetyl-CoA generated inside the mitochondria.

Beta-oxidation is the mitochondrial pathway that chops fatty acids into two-carbon units, producing acetyl-CoA with each cycle while also generating NADH and FADH2 for energy production. In most cells, this takes place in the mitochondrial matrix, and the acetyl-CoA produced then feeds into the TCA cycle to release more energy. There is a caveat for very long-chain fatty acids, which start oxidation in peroxisomes, but those shortened products are ultimately handed off to mitochondria for complete oxidation. So the statement is true because the main outcome of beta-oxidation, in its primary pathway, is acetyl-CoA generated inside the mitochondria.