Answer to Question #143289 in Biochemistry for James

Question

In the absence of oxygen, cells can produce small amounts of ATP from the anaerobic oxidation of glucose. This is not true for fatty acid oxidation. Explain why.

Answer 1

Cells cannot produce ATP from the anaerobic oxidation of fatty acids, because fatty acids enter the pathway at the citric acid cycle where they cannot be broken down in the absence of oxygen, and therefore the body cannot burn fat for energy.