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The difference between a hydrocarbon and a fatty acid is that a fatty acid is a hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid head.

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Q: What is the difference between a hydrocarbon and a fatty acid?
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Is a fatty acid a vitamin or mineral?

Neither. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids are known as essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are members of the fatty acid families. Both are polyunsaturated, and can beused as a source of energy, and are stored in fat tissue. Because they are essential, both linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are required in the diet.


Define fatty acid?

In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long aliphatic tail (chain), which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from triglycerides orphospholipids. When they are not attached to other molecules, they are known as "free" fatty acids.


What are tryglisorides?

Triglycerides are molecules made from three molecules, usually fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. They are more often known as lipids, or fats. A fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long alkyl group.


What are the products of the acid catalyzed hydolysis of a fat?

Hydrolysis is the process of breaking down a compound with the action of water. The products of the acid catalyzed hydrolysis of a fat are fatty acids and glycerol.


Formula for fat?

Depends which fat, there are many different compounds that are considered fatty acids. All contain an even number of carbons and a carboxyllic acid terminus. There are also 3 categories for these fats, saturated fatty acids, MUFAs (mono-unsaturated fatty acids), and PUFAs (poly-unsaturated fatty acids). A small 16-chain fatty acid which is completely saturated would look like this: CH3(CH2)14COOH Or C16H32O2

Related questions

What is a fatty acid.?

A fatty acid is a carboxylic acid (an acid with a -COOH group) with long hydrocarbon side chains.


Does a fatty acid have a four ring hydrocarbon structure?

no


What What are made up of fatty acids?

Fatty acids are made of two things: hydrocarbon chainsand a carboxyl group.Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated, the difference lying in bonds found within a fatty acid. A saturated fatty acid contains a maximum number of hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon chains. A polyunsaturated fatty acid or monounsaturated fatty acid is one that does not contain all possible hydrogen atoms. Monounsaturated fatty acids contain one carbon-carbon double bond in their hydrocarbon chain. Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain more than one.


Is a unsaturated fatty acid a carbohydrate?

No. It is what it says it is: a fatty acid. You are correct in that it has carbon but the structures of the two are different.


What type of fatty acid has double bonds?

The two basic types of fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated. A fatty acid consists of a hydrocarbon chain and a carboxyl group: CH3(CH2)nCOOH Saturated fatty acids have only single bonds between the carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain ie the molecule is "saturated" with hydrogen atoms and no more can be added. Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain. Fatty acids with a single double bond are called monounsaturated. Fatty acids with two or more double bonds are called polyunsaturated. See:http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/F/Fats.html


What is the Difference between saturated and unsaturated lipid?

The difference is related to which long chain fatty acid is incorporated. If it is a fatty acid that has double bonds, then it is an unsaturated lipid. If it contains fatty acids that have no double bonds, then it is a saturated lipid.


What is a fatty acid in which all carbons in the hydrocarbon tail are connected by single bonds?

phenotype


Why is fatty acids non polar when it has oxygen which is electronegative?

Tail of fatty acid is hydrocarbon which is non polar while head is polar .


Does vinigar have a type of acid?

acetic acid, which also happens to be the smallest possible fatty acid with only 1 carbon in its hydrocarbon chain.


Is fat an element or a compound?

Fat is a fairly complicated compound: it is composed of a glycerin molecule with 3 fatty acid molecules attached. Each of the fatty acid molecules is composed of a carboxylic acid molecule and a hydrocarbon polymer molecule chain. The hydrocarbon polymer molecule chains can be of any length and either flexible or rigid. The hydrocarbon polymer molecule chains will likely be different in each of the 3 fatty acid molecules in a given fat molecule.


What is the difference between a saturated an a unsaturated fatty acid?

Unsaturated fatty acids have double bond or triple bonds, whereas saturated fatty acids do not.


The most common number of carbons in fatty acid hydrocarbon chains of membrane phospholipids?

19