Fatty Acid Metabolism & Balance Flashcards

Where is bile produced and where is it stored?

Answer: Produced in the liver, stored in the gallbladder

The liver makes bile and the gallbladder concentrates and stores it until fat enters the duodenum.

Pancreatic lipase breaks triglycerides primarily into:

Answer: Monoglycerides and free fatty acids

Lipase hydrolyzes triglycerides into 2-monoglycerides and free fatty acids for absorption.

Which hormone signals the gallbladder to contract in response to dietary fat?

Answer: Cholecystokinin (CCK)

CCK released from the small intestine triggers gallbladder contraction and pancreatic enzyme release.

What is the role of carnitine in fat metabolism?

Answer: Transporting long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for beta-oxidation

Carnitine shuttles long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane for energy production.

Chylomicrons formed in enterocytes enter circulation through which route?

Answer: The lymphatic system

Chylomicrons are too large for capillaries and enter lacteals, reaching the blood via the thoracic duct.

Pale, greasy, foul-smelling stools that float suggest:

Answer: Fat malabsorption (steatorrhea)

Steatorrhea indicates inadequate fat digestion or absorption, often from bile, pancreatic, or gallbladder issues.

Where does beta-oxidation of fatty acids primarily occur, and what is the main product?

Answer: Mitochondrial matrix; acetyl-CoA

Beta-oxidation in the mitochondrial matrix cleaves two-carbon units as acetyl-CoA, which enters the Krebs cycle.