Fatty Acid Nomenclature

Lipids

• The most abundant lipid in nature is triglycerides.
• A simple triglyceride is a type of triglyceride that has three fatty acids connected to glycerol of the same type.
• Hydrolysis is the process that results in the production of monoglyceride.
• The main difference between fats and oils is that fats are solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid.
• The chemical property that allows fats to float on water is their non-polar and hydrophobic nature.

Fatty Acids

• The systematic name for a C18 fatty acid with no double bonds is stearic acid.
• The notation 18:2 signifies that a fatty acid has 18 carbon atoms and 2 double bonds.
• When counting from the distal end, with the ω-carbon as number 1, the position of a double bond is represented by the symbol ω (omega) followed by a number.
• The position of a double bond can also be represented by the symbol ∆ (delta) followed by a superscript number.
• The α, β, and ω-carbons in a fatty acid are the carbon atoms that are closest to the carboxyl group, next to the α-carbon, and at the end of the fatty acid chain, respectively.

Fatty Acid Structure

• The systematic name for a C18 fatty acid with two double bonds is linoleic acid.
• The notation 18:0 signifies that a fatty acid has 18 carbon atoms and no double bonds.
• The systematic name for a C16 fatty acid with no double bonds is palmitic acid.

Fats and Waxes

• The main difference between fats and waxes is that fats are esters of glycerol, while waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain alcohols.
• A mixed triglyceride is a type of triglyceride that has three fatty acids connected to glycerol of different types.
• The chemical property that allows fats to be insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents like ether and benzene is their non-polar and hydrophobic nature.
• Lipolysis is the process that results in the production of diglyceride.