Description:-fats &oils belong to a group of compounds called lipids. they are characterized by greasy feel, insolubility in water &solubility n some organic solvent.
Lipids contain a small proportion of oxygen &a larger proportion of hydrogen &carbon. fats are solid at 20 degree Celsius. They are called oils if they are liquid at that temperature.
Fatty acids: – A fatty acid is a long hydrocarbon chain capped by a carboxyl group (COOH). There are many common fatty acids that you hear about, four of which are shown below along with acetic acid for comparison:
The COOH cap is what makes these molecules acids. You are probably familiar with acetic acid because this is the acid found in vinegar. You can see that the fatty acids are like acetic acid, but they have much longer carbon chains.
Functions of fats: – there are many functions of fats which are following:-Fatty acids have many functions in the body, and play a role in:
• oxygen transport throughout the body
• providing energy (when glucose, a form of sugar, is not available)
• development of strong tissues and organs
• brain functioning
• lowering cholesterol and reducing risk of heart disease
• healthy looking skin
• immune system health
• Fatty acids, in particular essential fatty acids (EFAs) — alpha-linolenic (omega-3) and linoleum acid (omega-6) — are intimately related to managing inflammation in the body. Fatty acids provide the building blocks for your body to make prostaglandins, agents that increase and decrease inflammation in the body. In a nutshell, saturated fats create the prostaglandins that increase inflammation and omega-6 and omega-3 create the prostaglandins that decrease inflammation. Both inflammation and anti-inflammation are important functions in our bodies, because they are the agents of healing. But as important as it is to be able to inflame (bring healing agents to a site of damage in your body), it is just as important to then be able to anti-inflame, removing those healing agents when they’ve done their job. We need to have a balance of both.
