Question

What would happen if organisms need to synthesise fatty acids which had already broken down into acetyl CoA?

(a) Acetyl CoA would be withdrawn from the pathway

(b) Acetyl CoA would be further broken down

(c) Ethanol would be released

(d) Glycerol would be released

This question was posed to me in an interview.

The origin of the question is Plants Respiration in chapter Respiration in Plants of Biology – Class 11

Answer 1

The correct answer is (a) Acetyl CoA would be withdrawn from the pathway

To explain: When fatty acids are to be used as substrates, then they would be broken down to acetyl CoA before entering the respiratory pathway, but when organisms need to synthesise fatty acids, acetyl CoA would be withdrawn from the respiratory pathway for it.