# β-oxidation --- **β-oxidation**, or **fatty acid oxidation** is the break down of [[fatty acids]] after they've been broken apart from glycerol during [[lipolysis]]. These fatty acids are transported in the blood by a protein called [[albumin]], and then once inside the cell they are taken into the [[mitochondria]] by a molecule called **carnitine**. Once in the mitochondria, β-oxidation works by essentially popping off carbons, two at a time—which are then turned into [[acetyl CoA|acetyl CoAs]]—and power up [[NAD|NAD+s]] and [[FAD|FADHs]] for use in the [[ETC (mitochondria)|ETC]]. Because the fatty acids lack the electron-hungry oxygen of glucose, the net gain for the electron carriers are higher as well. The [[acetyl CoA|acetyl CoAs]] are then fed into the [[citric acid cycle]]. ![[β-oxidation.png]] ## Ketoacidosis Excessive β-oxidation can lead to a state of [[ketoacids]], because the end product is acetyl CoA, and two acetyl CoA can combine to form a [[ketone bodies|ketone body]]. This is significant because ketone bodies are acidic, and too much in the bloodstream can bring the [[acid-base balance|blood pH]] far too low.