What makes a fatty acid unsaturated?

Answer 1

A triglyceride contains three fatty acids that are composed of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. In a single free fatty acid if there is a hydrogen missing from the carbon chain creating a double bond then it is considered to be unsaturated. Adversely, saturated fat contains no missing hydrogen's. Unsaturated=Okay, Saturated=BAD.

Answer 2

The presence of double bonds creates a "kink" in a fatty acid chain. The more "kinks" there are in the chain, the more unsaturated a lipid is. When there are no double bonds, there are no "kinks" and each fatty acid chain can lie flat, forming a denser substance which is generally solid at room temperature.

Saturated (think butter) = no double bonds --> no kinks --> denser product --> solid at room temp.

Unsaturated (think vegetable oil) = double bonds present --> kinks in each chain --> less dense --> liquid at room temp.

Answer 3

A fatty acid can be either saturated or unsaturated, depending on how hydrogenated it is.

• Fully hydrogenated fatty acids are saturated fatty acids (i.e. they have no more spaces left where hydrogen atoms could bond).
• Partially hydrogenated fatty acids are unsaturated (i.e. they have one or more spaces left open where hydrogen atoms could bond).

Answer 4

Saturated fatty acids are fatty acids that contain exclusively carbon-carbon single bonds along the fatty acid chain. Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more carbon-carbon double bonds. They release less energy during metabolism than saturated fatty acids.

Answer 5

Saturated fats, refers to a fat with a chemical nature in which the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen atoms and do not contain double bonds between carbon atoms. Saturated fat is typically solid at room temperature while unsaturated fats are liquids.

Answer 6

A fatty acid is unsaturated if it contains one or more double bonds between carbon atoms in its hydrocarbon chain. This causes the fatty acid to have fewer hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon chain compared to a saturated fatty acid. Unsaturated fats are typically found in plant-based oils and are considered healthier for consumption in moderation.

Answer 7

It possesses no C=C double bonds, all Carbon atoms in the chain being saturated with Hydrogen atoms.

Answer 8

fatty acids have fewer hydrogen atoms because there is at least one double bond between carbon atoms.