Worked fatty acid catabolism problems: Energy yields for breakdown of palmitate & 17:0 fatty acids

ATP accounting for fatty acid catabolism. Putting numbers to why fat’s so caloric!
In these examples, I break down the breakdown - how many NTPs (direct and if you go through ox-phos), NADH, FADH2, and NADPH you make or need for each step of breaking down a fatty acid. Starting with palmitate. And then expanding to a 17:0 fatty acid.
Here's a link to a spreadsheet for you to try yourself first or just to follow along. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
There's also a tab with lipid synthesis tables and a tab with a generic template for you to use for any pathway or series of pathways.
Remember metabolism's messy, things can happen different ways with slightly different yields & thus the point isn't getting an exact "right" number - rather, it's about engaging with metabolic pathways, seeing their interconnectedness, following molecules throughout various interconversions, recognizing what types of reactions are costly or profitable, etc.
So, hope this helps!
more about lipid metabolism: bit.ly/bblipidmetabolism
       
more about all sorts of things: #365DaysOfScience All (with topics listed) 👉 bit.ly/2OllAB0 or search blog: thebumblingbiochemist.com