Answer to Question #20387 in Biochemistry for anna

Question

What conditions cause cells to break down fat molecules?

Answer 1

Lipolysis is the breakdown of lipids and involves the hydrolysis of triglycerides into free fatty acids followed by further degradation into acetyl units by beta oxidation.
Lipolysis occurs in the mitochondria, where fatty acids are delivered by carrier - carnitine. In the process of lipolysis is a cyclic transformation of fatty acid molecules with the removal of these derivatives KoA (CH3-CO-SKoA) (β-oxidation of fatty acids), or one-carbon derivatives KoA (α-oxidation of fatty acids), the flow of one cycle of oxidation of fatty acids, followed by the synthesis of one molecule of FADN and NADH.
Triglitseridlipaza enzyme cleaves triglycerides into diglycerides and fatty acids, in the next stage and active diglitseridlipaza monoglitseridlipaza. As a result of these enzymes form the final products of lipolysis - glycerol and fatty acids.
Lipolysis is an important energy in the cells, which provides a synthesis of the large number of ATP. For example, the oxidation of one molecule of palmitate (CH3 (CH2) 14COOH), formed 131 ATP molecule, two of which are used to activate palmitate.