So within the matrix of our mitochondria, activated fatty acid molecules are completely oxidized to form acetyl coenzyme A molecules. And these acetyl coenzyme A molecules can then be used to actually generate high energy ATP molecules. Now, the question that I'd like to discuss in this lecture is the following. How many ATP molecules can the cells of our body actually generate when they completely oxidize and break down fatty acids? Now, the answer to this question actually varies and it depends on the length of that hydrocarbon chain within that particular fatty acid. And so as our example, we're going to use the most common fatty acid that we find in humans known as palmitic acid.