When Acids Are Synthesized

(To the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”) / Recording by Tim Karplus

The 16 carbon fatty acid, palmitate
Gets all the carbons that it needs from acetate
Which citric acid helps release
From mitochondri – matrices
Oh a shuttle’s great
When acids are synthesized

Carboxylase takes substrate and it puts within
Dioxy carbon carried on a biotin
CoA’s all gain a quick release
Replaced by larger ACPs
And it all begins
When acids are synthesized

A malonate contributes to the growing chain
Two carbons seven times around again, again
For saturated acyl-ates
There’s lots of N-A-DPH
That you must obtain
When acids are synthesized

Palmitic acid made this way all gets released
Desaturases act to make omega-threes
The finished products big and small
Form esters with a glycerol
So you get obese
When acids are synthesized