An 18-carbon fatty acid is converted into how many acetyl-CoA molecules?

Explanation

An 18-carbon fatty acid, when broken down through beta-oxidation, produces 9 acetyl-CoA molecules. This is because each acetyl-CoA molecule contains two carbon atoms, making the calculation straightforward: 18 divided by 2 equals 9. The incorrect options (8, 18, and 36) do not align with the two-carbon structure of acetyl-CoA; thus, they cannot be derived from an 18-carbon fatty acid.