Question

Can fat be a substrate for cellular respiration?

Answer 1

Fats:

1. Fat is a macronutrient group of compounds like carbohydrates and protein.
2. Fats are a substrate for cellular respiration. It gives the highest amount of energy among fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
3. Fat is a triglyceride molecule. Triglyceride is degraded to fatty acid and glycerol. This fatty acid undergoes the process of beta-oxidation.
4. This is a series of reactions that ultimately produce acetyl-CoA molecules with a reaction with coenzyme A which enters into Krebs’ cycle.
5. It produces energy in the form of ATP.
6. Glycerol can enter in glycolysis is glyceraldehyde-3- phosphate, it is an intermediate of glycolysis.
7. So, fat is a substrate for cellular respiration.