LIPID METABOLISM

This document provides a comprehensive overview of lipid metabolism, specifically focusing on the biochemical stages of \beta-oxidation, including fatty acid activation in the cytosol, transport across the inner mitochondrial membrane via the carnitine shuttle, and the repeating four-step reaction cycle in the mitochondrial matrix. It details the energetics of the process, illustrating how a typical long-chain fatty acid like palmitic acid yields a net of 106 ATP, while also covering specialized pathways such as the oxidation of odd-chain fatty acids and peroxisomal oxidation. Additionally, the text highlights the clinical significance of these pathways by explaining metabolic disorders such as carnitine deficiency, Jamaican vomiting sickness, and Zellweger syndrome, which arise from defects in fatty acid transport or organelle function.