BIOCHEMISTRY REVIEWER | Fats
Fats
• Secondary source of energy.
• Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.
• The basic units are glycerol and fatty
acid.
• Linked by an ester bond. 25-35% of food
calories should come from this source.
Classification of Unsaturated Fatty Acid
Basic Units
How to Name Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
• Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
• Eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA)
Categories of Fatty Acid Chains (Based on
length)
• Short chain – Composed of 2-5 carbons.
• Medium chain – Composed of 612
carbons.
• Long chain – Composed of 13 carbons
and above.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
• Linoleic acid
• Arachidonic acid
Omega-9 Fatty Acids
• Oleic acid
Cis and Trans Configuration
Categories of Fatty Acid Chains (Based on type
of bond)
Saturated
• Only has single bond.
• The hydrogen atoms are saturated.
• Forms a straight line.
• Solid at room temperature.
Unsaturated
• Has two or more double bonds.
• The hydrogen atoms are not saturated.
• Has a kink in the structure.
• Liquid at room temperature.
Results from partial hydrogenation
Types of Lipoprotein
reverse cholesterol transport
1 double bond = 2 missing hydrogen atoms
What is Partial Hydrogenation?