[Campbell Biology P.232] Which of the following statements correctly describes the process o... | Practice Question
Which of the following statements correctly describes the process of fat catabolism and its energy yield compared to carbohydrates?
A: Fatty acids are broken down into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, which directly enters the electron transport chain.
B: Beta oxidation produces two-carbon fragments (acetyl CoA) that enter the citric acid cycle, generating more than twice the ATP per gram than carbohydrates.
C: Glycerol is converted to acetyl CoA, which is then used in oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP.
D: Fats are less efficient fuels than carbohydrates because their C-H bonds have lower energy levels.
Explanation
The text states that 'beta oxidation breaks the fatty acids down to two-carbon fragments, which enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.' It also notes that 'A gram of fat oxidized by respiration produces more than twice as much ATP as a gram of carbohydrate.'