Dealing with a double bond on an odd carbon...

The mitochondrian in these myocytes is one cell type
that metabolizes fatty acids--including odd ones:)

When metabolizing a fatty acid with a double bond that is on the gamma carbon instead of the beta carbon, there will be an isomerase enzyme that causes a shift of the double bond so that you can continue to oxidize the beta carbon.

LINK:  DEALING WITH THE ODD DOUBLE BOND

Beta Oxidation

...OX-idation

Beta Oxidation was first discovered when an OX ingested a BETA fish...

BETA...

Beta oxidation is incredible stuff.  Glycolysis to the Electron Transport Chain is classic metabolism.  Now we are going to be branching out to other mechanisms of metabolism that weave themselves into the classic Glycolysis-Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex-Citric Acid Cycle-Electron Transport Chain/ATP-Synthase.  Beta oxidation is the first thread we are going to follow in the big picture tapestry.

Beta Oxidation occurs in the matrix of the mitochondria, but first we need to walk through the steps the body takes to get a fatty acid to a myocyte or an adipocyte:  HOW FAT GETS TO THE CELL!!!!!

Now that the fatty acids are in the cell cytosol, we need to get the fatty acids into the mitochondrial matrix.  The fatty acids are tagged for diffusion into the matrix and then, with the use of carnitine, are taken into the matrix:  THE CARNITINE REACTION!!!!!

Now that the fatty acids are FINALLY in the matrix, Beta Oxidation can occur.  Remember that the point of metabolism is to create a metabolite that resembles something from the "classic metabolism" we've already studied.  In the case of Beta Oxidation, we are going to create acetyl-CoA from a fatty acid, and thereby feed the Citric Acid Cycle:  BETA-OXIDATION!!!!!