Fats and oils - Building triglycerides Flashcards
What essential functions do fats have in the body?
Fats protect your organs, provides insulation and also acts as a long-term energy store. We all need to eat some fats as part of a balanced diet because fats are important for many functions of the human body.
What are animal and vegetables fats and oils? What is the difference between fats and oils?
- Animal and vegetable fats and oils are esters of long-chain carboxylic acids called fatty acids. - Fats and oils are very similar substances, differing only in their melting point. A melting point above room temperature gives a solid fat e.g. butter whereas a melting point below room temperature gives a liquid oil, such as olive oil.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides occur naturally in animal and vegetable fats. They are the triesters of an alcohol called propane- 1,2,3-triol(glycerol) and three fatty acid molecules. Glycerol is an alcohol with three -OH groups.
What are fatty acids?
Fatty acids are long-chain carboxylic acids. The hydrocarbon chains can be either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids contain an even number of carbon atoms because of how they are synthesised in nature.
What are mono-unsaturated fats?
Unsaturated fats with one double bond in the hydrocarbon chain are called mono-unsaturated fats. The double bond is commonly found between the carbon-9 and carbon-10 .
Explain how the shorthand notation for fatty acids.
A shorthand notation for fatty acids consists of two number separated by a colon: - The first number indicates the number of carbon atoms. - The second number indicates the number of double bonds. - The number in the brackets indicates the position(s) of the double bond(s).
Write the shorthand notation for the following: - Hexadecanoic acid - Octadec-9-enoic acid - Octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid
- 16:0 - 18:1(9) - 18:2(9,12)
Write out the general equation for the formation of a triglyeride ester from glyceral and three fatty acids.
