Function of Fatty Acids. Fatty acids have important roles in: 1) signal-transduction pathways; 2) cellular fuel sources; 3) the composition of hormones and lipids; 4) the modification of proteins; and 5) energy storage within adipose tissue (specialized fat cells) in the form of triacylglycerols.
Then, how do you draw a fatty acid structure?
Furthermore, what are the intermolecular forces of fatty acids?
The chains of carbon atoms, however, form a general straight-line shape, allowing adjacent molecules to “pack” close together. This closer packing results in somewhat stronger intermolecular forces between molecules of saturated fatty acids. The forces are, in fact, dispersion forces.
What do fatty acids build?
Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fat in our bodies and in the food we eat. During digestion, the body breaks down fats into fatty acids, which can then be absorbed into the blood. Fatty acid molecules are usually joined together in groups of three, forming a molecule called a triglyceride.
What is composed of three fatty acids and one glycerol?
Since fats consist of three fatty acids and a glycerol, they are also called triacylglycerols or triglycerides. Triacylglycerols: Triacylglycerol is formed by the joining of three fatty acids to a glycerol backbone in a dehydration reaction.
What is the basic structure of fats?
Fats and oils
A fat molecule consists of two kinds of parts: a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid tails. Glycerol is a small organic molecule with three hydroxyl (OH) groups, while a fatty acid consists of a long hydrocarbon chain attached to a carboxyl group.
What is the main structural difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
The difference between saturated and unsaturated fat lies in the number of double bonds in the fatty acid chain. Saturated fatty acids lack double bonds between the individual carbon atoms, while in unsaturated fatty acids there is at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain.
What is the simplest structure of fatty acid?
The simplest fatty acids are unbranched, linear chains of CH2 groups linked by carbon-carbon single bonds with one terminal carboxylic acid group. The term saturated indicates that the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms are bonded to each carbon in the molecule.
What is the structural formula of a fatty acid?
17.1: Fatty Acids
| Name | Abbreviated Structural Formula | Condensed Structural Formula |
|---|---|---|
| stearic acid | C17H35COOH | CH3(CH2)16COOH |
| oleic acid | C17H33COOH | CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH |
| linoleic acid | C17H31COOH | CH3(CH2)3(CH2CH=CH)2(CH2)7COOH |
| α-linolenic acid | C17H29COOH | CH3(CH2CH=CH)3(CH2)7COOH |
What is the structure of saturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids are compounds that consist of a hydrocarbon chain and a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) at the end of the chain. These fatty acids are referred to as saturated because the hydrocarbon chain is saturated with hydrogen atoms due to the absence of double bonds.
What is the structure of unsaturated fatty acids?
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Unsaturated fatty acid carbon chains contain one or more double bonds with a terminal carboxylic group (–COOH), unlike saturated fatty acids, which contain no double bonds. These fatty acids are subdivided into two groups depending on the number of double bonds.