Final answer:
Fatty acids undergo ß-oxidation to produce acetyl CoA, which is used in the citric acid cycle to generate ATP, an important energy source for the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fatty acids are catabolized by a process called ß-oxidation, which contributes acetyl CoA for use in the citric acid cycle. This breakdown of fatty acids involves several steps. Initially, fatty acids are activated in the cytosol to form fatty acyl-CoA.
They are then transported into the mitochondria where ß-oxidation takes place. During ß-oxidation, two-carbon acetyl groups are sequentially removed from the fatty acid chains, and the acetyl CoA produced is funneled into the Krebs cycle or the citric acid cycle. Here it is further degraded to CO2, and the energy released is captured in the form of ATP through subsequent reactions including oxidative phosphorylation.
Thus, the correct answer to the student's question is: Fatty acids are catabolized by a process called ß-oxidation, which contributes acetyl CoA for use in the citric acid cycle. This highlights the critical role of ß-oxidation in energy production within the body, especially when carbohydrates are scarce, by providing acetyl CoA that enters the citric acid cycle to be oxidized for energy release.