Compounds commonly know as fats and oils?

Answer 1

Fats and oils are categorized under the title "Omega", followed by varying numbers (Omega 3, Omega 6,) some are very benifitial to the cognitive areas of the brain, aiding in memory retention, and strengthening the immune system. Some types of fat are actually harmful to the human brain and body functions when ingested in large amounts, such as corn oil. Helpful forms of Omega can be found in fish like salmon, nuts, and coconut oil.

Answer 2

Both are technically composed of lipids. Fatty acids are composed of a linear carbon chain attached to a carboxylic acid group. The carbon chain that may or may not have double bonds in it - if it does, then the fat is "unsaturated", if not, then it is "saturated" "Saturation" in this context refers to the number of hydrogens that the carbon chain can carry - if it is carrying all of the hydrogens it can, then it is said to be "saturated" with hydrogen. Fatty acids can bind to a glycerol molecule to form di- and triacylglycerols, which can be transported in the blood. "Fats" are generally soluble in non-polar compounds (this is why oil and vinegar do not mix in a salad cruet: the vinegar is polar while the oil is non-polar).

Oils are fatty acids that are liquid at room temperature. Oils tend to be unsaturated fats because they have a double bond that makes it harder for the molecules to pack together tightly enough to form a semisolid, although this is not always the case. Unsaturated fats can be classified as monounsaturated if there is one double bond in the hydrophobic carbon chain or polyunsaturated if there is more than one double bond. Most plant oils tend to have cis double bonds, which cause a "kink" in the molecule, making them less able to pack tightly together. "Trans" fats occur in very small amounts in nature but are readily produced in food manufacturing processes in order to emulsify them (break up fats so that they can be more readily incorporated into processed food products). Trans fats have a trans double bond (the two moieties in question occur on opposite sides of the double bond), allowing the fatty acids to pack more tightly together, resembling a saturated fat (no double bonds).

Olive oil, for example, is largely composed of:

-oleic acid C18:1, a mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid (~60-90%)

-linoleic acid C18:2, a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid (3.5-21%)

-alpha-linolenic acid C18:3, a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid (up to 1.5%)

-palmitic acid C16:0, a saturated fatty acid (7.5-20%)

-stearic acid C18:0, a saturated fatty acid (0.5-5%)

(A brief note on lipid nomenclature: the "C" number refers to the number of carbons in the hydrocarbon chain. The number following the colon tells you how many double bonds ["unsaturations] are in the molecule. "Omega-__" tells you where the first double bond falls in terms of the number of carbons from the methyl (omega) end of the fatty acid. For example, alpha-linolenic acid is C18:3, omega-3, so its hydrocarbon chain has 18 carbons with three double bonds, the first one three carbons in from the methyl end.)

It depends on what you mean by "fats".

Butter, for example, is a complex mixture of triacylglycerols (three fatty acids stuck onto a glycerol molecule through an ester linkage). Butter is made from milkfat, which is ~98% triacylglycerols, whose content varies depending on which fatty acids are stuck onto the glycerol molecule. Butter contains both long- and short-chain fatty acids. The long-chain fatty acids do not contribute much to flavor, but the short-chain ones do. The short-chain fatty acids also determine how quickly the butter melts and releases its flavor; the more short-chain fatty acids, the more quickly the butter melts (lower melting point).

The actual composition of butter varies depending on how the cows are fed and with seasonal variations. In general, butter contains: oleic, myristic, palmitic, lauric, butyric, caproic, caprylic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids.

I hope this helps! I'm sorry it was a bit long-winded.

Answer 3

Lipids