Question

1.Fats and oil they both are triglycerides. Why fat is solid, and oil is liquid?

b. What is fatty acid? Give the definition of a fatty acid.

c.What are essential fatty acids? Name them. Explain why they are called essential?

Answer 1

Answer:-

(1)-

As we know that fats and oil they both are triglycerides. Fats are saturated triglycerides in which all the fatty acids forming triglycerides are saturated and their carbon-chains aligned themselves in a regular pattern therefore such triglycerides packed well in a crystal which form soild fat at room temperature whereas oils are are unsaturated triglycerides in which some of the unsaturated fatty acids are kink in their carbon-chains at the double bond that have cis -configuration. These kink make the carbon-chains irregular and do not allow close packing of the triglycerides which form liquid oil at room temperature. (i.e the answer)

(b) -

Fatty acids are long-chain aliphatic moncarboxylic acid. They have general formula R-COOH.

where R = 4 to 28 carbon containing side chain.

They are called as fatty acid because many of them are obtained by the hydrolysis of animal fat or vegetable oils. They may be saturated or unsaturated. The saturated fatty acid having saturated carbon chain whereas unsaturated fatty acid having unsaturated ( having carbon-carbon double bond or carbon-carbon triple bond ) carbon chain. (i.e the answer)

(c) -

Essential fatty acids are those fatty acids which do not synthesized in the body but essential for growth and development of the body. Essential fatty acids are required to the body for good health.There are two essential fatty acids

1- omega-3 fatty acid (alpha -linolenic acid)

2- omega-6 fatty acid ( linoleic acid)

The term "essential" in essential fatty acids is generally refered as they are not synthesized in the body but they are required in many biological process and cellular functions of body therefore they must be included in the diet for good health. They are also important for growth and development of the body. So intake of essential fatty acids is important for human health that is why they are called essential. (i.e the answer)