FACTOID # 137: Sick people is Switzerland stay in hospital for longer than the people of any other nation - almost 10 days, on average. Switzerland also has the world's highest number of hospital beds per capita.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     

  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > Saturated fatty acid

In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid (or organic acid), often with a long aliphatic tail (long chains), either saturated or unsaturated. Most of the natural fatty acids have an even number of carbon atoms, because they are made up of acetate which has two carbon atoms.-1... Biochemistry is the chemistry of life. ... Structure of a carboxylic acid Carboxylic acids, also known as alkanoic acids, are organic acids characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group and have the general chemical formula R-C(=O)-OH, also written as R-COOH, where R is a hydrogen or an alkyl group. ... In chemistry, non-aromatic organic compounds are called aliphatic. ... In chemistry, saturation has three meanings: In physical chemistry, saturation is the point at which a solution of a substance can dissolve no more of that substance. ... Acetate, or ethanoate, is the anion of a salt or ester of acetic acid. ...


Industrially, fatty acids are produced by the hydrolysis of the ester linkages in a fat or biological oil (both of which are triglycerides), with the removal of glycerol. See oleochemicals. Hydrolysis is a chemical process in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by the addition of a molecule of water. ... For the Biblical Ester, see Esther. ... FAT is an acronym that can refer to: File Allocation Table - a file system format used by Microsoft operating systems. ... Triglyceride (blue: fatty acid; red: glycerol backbone) Triglycerides are glycerides in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids. ... ... Oleochemical are chemicals derived from biological oils or fats. ...

Contents

Saturated fatty acids

Saturated fatty acids do not contain any double bonds or other functional groups along the chain. The term "saturated" refers to hydrogen, in that all carbons (apart from the carboxylic acid [-COOH] group) contain as many hydrogens as possible. In other words, the omega (ω) end contains 3 hydrogens (CH3-) and each carbon within the chain contains 2 hydrogens (-CH2-). Covalent bonding is a form of chemical bonding characterized by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between atoms, in order to produce a mutual attraction, which holds the resultant molecule together. ... In ecology functional groups are collections of organisms based on morphological, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, or environmental responses or on trophic criteria. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 1 , s Density, Hardness 0. ... Structure of a carboxylic acid Carboxylic acids, also known as alkanoic acids, are organic acids characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group and have the general chemical formula R-C(=O)-OH, also written as R-COOH, where R is a hydrogen or an alkyl group. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 1 , s Density, Hardness 0. ...


Some saturated fatty acids are:

  • Butyric: CH3(CH2)2COOH
  • Lauric (dodecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)10COOH
  • Myristic (tetradecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)12COOH
  • Palmitic (hexadecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)14COOH
  • Stearic (octadecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)16COOH
  • Arachidic (eicosanoic acid): CH3(CH2)18COOH

n-Butyric acid, IUPAC name n_Butanoic acid, or normal butyric acid, is a carboxylic acid with structural formula CH3CH2CH2_COOH. It is notably found in rancid butter, parmesan cheese, or vomit and has an unpleasant odor and acrid taste, with a sweetish aftertaste (similar to ether). ... Lauric acid, also known as n-dodecanoic acid, is a fatty acid with structural formula CH3(CH2)10COOH . ... Palmitic acid, also called hexadecanoic acid, is one of the most common saturated fatty acids found in animals and plants. ... Stearic acid also called octadecanoic acid is one of the many useful types of saturated fatty acids that comes from many animal and vegetable fats and oils. ... Arachidic acid also called eicosanoic acid is a saturated fatty acids found in peanut oil. ...

Unsaturated fatty acids

Unsaturated fatty acids are of similar form, except that one or more alkene functional groups exist along the chain, with each alkene substituting a singly-bonded An alkene is one of the three classes of unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon- carbon double bond and have the general molecular formula of CnH2n (the other two being alkynes and arenes). ... In ecology functional groups are collections of organisms based on morphological, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, or environmental responses or on trophic criteria. ... In chemistry, a chemical bond is the force which holds together atoms in molecules or crystals. ...

 -CH2-CH2- 

part of the chain with a doubly-bonded Covalent bonding is a form of chemical bonding characterized by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between atoms, in order to produce a mutual attraction, which holds the resultant molecule together. ...

 -CH=CH- 

portion (that is, a carbon double bonded to another carbon). In most of these, each double bond has 3n carbon atoms after it, for some n, and are all cis bonds. CIS is an abbreviation of: Commonwealth of Independent States Canadian Interuniversity Sport Contact Image Sensor CompuServe Information Service Chinese International School Confederacy of Independent Systems (Star Wars) Continuous injection system Communication Information Services Card Information Structure Cisalpino See also uses of the word cis. ...


There are two different ways to make clear where these double bonds are located in the molecule. For example:

  • cis/trans-Delta-x or cis/transx: The double bond is located on the xth carbon, counting down from the carboxyl terminus. The cis or trans notation indicates whether the molecule is arranged in a cis or trans conformation. In the case of a molecule having more than one double bond, the notation is, for example, cis,cis912.
  • Omega-x or ω-x : A double bond is located on the xth carbon, counting down from the distal (methyl carbon) end.

Example of unsaturated fatty acids:

Linolenic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. Linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are omega-6 fatty acids. Oleic and erucic acid are omega-9 fatty acids. Stearic and Oleic acid are both 18 C fatty acids. They differ only in that stearic acid is saturated with hydrogen, while oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid with two fewer hydrogen. Linolenic acid is an 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid with three double bonds. ... Linoleic acid (C18H32O2) is a colourless liquid. ... Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid found in various animal and vegetable sources. ... Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in certain fish tissues, and in vegetable sources such as flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil. ... Arachidonic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid with four cis double bonds, which are the sources of its flexibility and give it the capacity to react with molecular oxygen. ... Omega-6 fatty acids are fatty acids where the term omega-6 signifies that the first double bond in the carbon backbone of the fatty acid, counting from the end opposite the acid group, occurs in the sixth carbon-carbon bond. ... Categories: Chemistry stubs | Carboxylic acids ... General Name, Symbol, Number Carbon, C, 6 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14 (IVA), 2, p Density, Hardness 2267 kg/m3 0. ...


image:rasyslami.jpg
Image of several fatty acid molecules created by me with POV-ray. ...

Image.Several fatty acid molecules

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are required in the human diet. This means they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from food. We can easily make saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids that have one double bond (monounsaturated fatty acids), but we do not have the proper enzymes to synthesize unsaturated fatty acids that have more than one double bond (polyunsaturated fatty acids). These essential fatty acids are very important to our immune system and to help us regulate our blood pressure, for they are used to make essential compounds, such as prostaglandins. Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that are required in the human diet. ... In nutrition, monounsaturated fats are dietary fats with one double-bonded carbon in the molecule, with all of the others single-bonded carbons. ... A prostaglandin is any member of a group of lipid compounds that are derived from fatty acids and have important functions in the animal body. ...


Trans fatty acids

Main article: Trans fat A trans fatty acid (commonly shortened to trans fat) is an unsaturated fatty acid molecule that contains a trans double bond between carbon atoms, which makes the molecule less kinked compared to cis fat. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and coronary...


A trans fatty acid (commonly shortened to trans fat) is an unsaturated fatty acid molecule that contains a trans double bond between carbon atoms, which makes the molecule less kinked compared to fatty acids with cis double bonds. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The term saturation generally means thoroughly full, and can refer to the following: In chemistry, see saturation (chemistry) for a number of meanings. ... Trans is a Latin word meaning on the opposite side and is the opposite of cis, which means on the same side. In chemistry, a double bond in which the greater radical on both ends is on the opposite side of the bond is called trans. ... Covalent bonding is a form of chemical bonding characterized by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between atoms, in order to produce a mutual attraction, which holds the resultant molecule together. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Carbon, C, 6 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14 (IVA), 2, p Density, Hardness 2267 kg/m3 0. ... CIS is an abbreviation of: Commonwealth of Independent States Canadian Interuniversity Sport Contact Image Sensor CompuServe Information Service Chinese International School Confederacy of Independent Systems (Star Wars) Continuous injection system Communication Information Services Card Information Structure Cisalpino See also uses of the word cis. ... Atherosclerosis is a disease of arterial blood vessels. ... Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium (the muscle of the heart). ...


Free fatty acids

Fatty acids not bound or attached to other molecules, like triglycerides or phospholipids. Triglyceride (blue: fatty acid; red: glycerol backbone) Triglycerides are glycerides in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids. ... Two schematic representations of a phospholipid. ...


The uncombined fatty acids or free fatty acids may come from the breakdown of a triglyceride into its components (fatty acids and glycerol).


Free fatty acids are an important source of fuel for many tissues since they can yield relatively large quantities of ATP. Typically many cell types can use either glucose or fatty acids for this purpose. However, heart and skeletal muscle prefer fatty acids. On the other hand, brain cannot use fatty acids as a source of fuel, relying instead on glucose, or on ketone bodies produced by the liver from fatty acid metabolism during starvation. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the nucleotide known in biochemistry as the molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer; that is, ATP is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells. ... A space-filling model of glucose Glucose, a simple monosaccharide sugar, is one of the most important carbohydrates and is used as a source of energy in animals and plants. ... Ketone bodies are certain chemicals produced mainly in the liver; they provide much of the energy to heart tissue and during starvation also to the brain. ... Fatty acid metabolism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...


pH

Formic acid and Acetic acid are totally soluble in water and dissociate to form reasonably strong acids. However, as the chain length increases the solubility of the fatty acids decreases very rapidly, and so their pH does not really have a meaning. Formic acid (systematically called methanoic acid) is the simplest carboxylic acid. ... The chemical compound acetic acid (from the Latin word acetum, meaning vinegar), systematically called ethanoic acid, is the acid that gives vinegar its sour taste. ...


They will dissolve in warm ethanol, and can be titrated with sodium hydroxide solution using phenolphthalein as an indicator to a pale pink endpoint. Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... In medicine, titration is the process of gradually adjusting the dose of a medication until the desired effect is achieved. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye in North America, is a caustic metallic base used in industry (mostly as a strong chemical base) in the manufacture of paper, textiles, and detergents. ... Illustration of bond structure of phenolphthalein Rough illustration of a titration with phenolphthalien prior to the endpoint Phenolphthalein is a sensitive pH indicator with the formula C20H14O4. ...


Autooxidation and rancididty

Fatty acids at room temperature undergo a chemical change known as autoxidation. The fatty acid breaks down into hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, and smaller amounts of epoxides and alcohols. Heavy metals present at low levels in fats and oils promote autoxidation. Fats and oils often are treated with chelating agents such as citric acid.


See also

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

  Results from FactBites:
 
Healthopedia.com - Saturated Fat (Saturated Fatty Acid) (768 words)
Diets high in fat, especially saturated fat, are linked to high blood cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Saturated fat is found primarily in animal foods.
Small amounts of saturated fat are not harmful, but too much can increase blood cholesterol levels in some people.
fatty acid structure (4144 words)
Fatty acid methyl and ethyl esters are known to be present in the plasma of patient with liver dysfunction following ethanol ingestion (Aleryani SL et al., Clin Chim Acta 2005, 359, 141).
Fatty acids with 4 to 12 carbon atoms are found mainly in milk fats (mainly butyric acid in cow and decanoic acid in sheep) but those with 10 and 12 carbon atoms are found also in certain seed oils such as coconut and other kernel fats of the palm family.
Saturated fatty acids were shown to be the major constituents of adipocere (similar to "adipocire" studied by Chevreul), the white and soap-like decomposition product which forms due to the post-mortem conversion of body adipose tissue (Pfeiffer S et al., J Forensic Sci 1998, 43, 368).
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.