Fatty acid: building block of fat

Fat is a major source of fuel energy for the body and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids.

Both animals- and plant- derived food products contain fat. Food fat provides taste, consistency, and helps people feel full.

Dietary fat consists primarily (98 percent) of triacylglycerol, which is composed of one glycerol molecule esterified with three fatty acid molecules, and smaller amounts of phospholipids and sterol.

Fatty acids are hydrocarbon chains that contain a methyl (CH3-) and a carboxyl (-COOH) end. They are responsible for the different properties of the triglycerides; while the glycerol component is identical for every triglyceride.

Several aspects can differentiate the fatty acid components:
*carbon chain length
*number of double bond
*location of double bond
*configuration of the hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms joined by the double bond, cis or trans *position of the fatty acids regarding the glycerol

Fatty acids are named according to the number of carbon atoms in the chain. In turn the name of the fatty acids refers back to the name of the saturated hydrocarbon with same number of carbon atoms.

So stearic acid has 18 carbon atoms and is related to the alkane with 18 carbon atoms, i.e. octadecane.

The type of fatty acids consumed plays an important role in the etiology of a variety of degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, immunity and inflammatory disease, renal disease, diabetes, neuromuscular disorders, liver disease, visual dysfunction, psychiatric disorders, and aging.
Fatty acid: building block of fat